Dog that warmed hearts, delivered smiles after battle with cancer dies

A 9-year-old Golden Retriever that brought smiles to the faces of DeLand residents has died after a long fight with cancer.   Joey Maxwell said in a Facebook post that his dog, Maverick, "quietly passed away in his sleep" over the weekend. 

Maverick had been a fighting a type of cancer called lymphoma and was dealing with a separate nerve issue which took away the use of his hind legs.  Maxwell would frequently cart Maverick around town in a wagon, much to the delight of people who would interact with the dog. 

FOX 35 had reported on Maverick after its cancer went into remission following months of chemotherapy.  The dog became a symbol of resilience and an Internet sensation, but the cancer returned and proved to be fatal.  

"Maverick was a magical pup that touched the hearts of literally millions of people all over the world," Maxwell wrote in the Facebook post.  "For what seems like a very brief time, we were the luckiest people on the face of the planet."

To learn more about Maverick, click on his Facebook page.