‘Welcome home Jimmy!’: Spencer and Penny’s owners gifted new puppy

The owners of the Boston Marathon‘s favorite golden duo, Spencer and Penny, welcomed home a new puppy on Sunday.

“It’s a boy,” the family wrote in a Facebook post, featuring photos introducing “Jimmy,” who was born March 3.

Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon, and his “soulmate,” Penny, died just eight days apart from one another, their owners shared on social media back in February.

The therapy dogs left a lasting mark, having become fixtures on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon and throughout the community.

Spencer, who went viral in 2018 for braving the rainy weather to proudly hold flags in support of Boston Marathon runners, died Feb. 17 from liver cancer at the age of 13.

Penny, who had appeared grief-stricken in the days following Spencer’s passing, died on Feb. 25 at the age of 10, after her owners discovered hemangiosarcoma tumors had spread to her liver.

Hemangiosarcoma, a deadly canine cancer, “is a silent killer and more common than you would believe,” Spencer and Penny’s owner, Rich Powers, wrote on Facebook in February.

“The last 2.5 months have been very difficult on us without our special pups,” the family wrote Sunday. “A couple of days after Penny left us, Golden Opportunities for Independence knew we were enduring unbearable grief and wanted to help.”

Golden Opportunities for Independence is a Walpole-based service dog program, which “breed(s), raise(s) and train(s) English Type Golden Retrievers for people with disabilities to gain independence,” according to its website.

The nonprofit “loved everything we did with Spencer & Penny and all that they stood for,” the family continued in their Facebook post. “They reached out to us and offered us a FREE puppy. We could not be any more grateful for this generous heartfelt gesture.”

Looking ahead, the family intends to have Jimmy follow in Spencer and Penny’s footsteps – ahem, pawprints.

“We promise we will to continue Spencer & Penny’s mission with your pup and we know he will do amazing things,” the family said. “WELCOME HOME JIMMY!”

See below for his first photoshoot: