He was described as being "such a joy"
Rebecca McGrath
17:01, 15 Jan 2026
The owner of “Wirral’s most photographed dog” has shared her heartbreak after making a devastating decision. Since 2020, Cain, the Australian cattle dog who lives in Wallasey, has become a daily part of many people’s lives.
Owner, Tracey Rennie, 58, from Wallasey, rehomed Cain in May 2018 when he was six after he was returned to his breeder from his previous owners due to a relationship breakdown. Tracey told the ECHO: “He had a heart condition and arthritis and had been on medication since he was four but he was tough and had a mind of his own.
“He was my third cattle dog. They’re very intelligent and they get into your psyche and heart so he quickly became a part of our family. He was such a joy.”
Tracey set up a Facebook photography page during lockdown and began documenting her daily morning dog walks across Wirral with Cain.
She said: “I love photography and Cain was such a character so it just started in lockdown. Wherever I went with him on our morning walks whether it was around Wallasey or New Brighton I’d take a picture and share it on my page and in local community groups.
"I thought it was quite nice because I would use different backgrounds and landmarks of the Wirral behind him and people seemed to really like it.”
Since sharing her daily posts, Tracey has received thousands of likes and comments from people living in the local area and beyond.
She said: “The comments I've had for years now whether it be private or on the groups have been lovely and heartwarming. It seemed to really cheer so many people up and genuinely lift people’s spirits.
“You don’t realise the difference something as small as taking a picture of a dog in local places can make.
“There’d be numerous times we’d be out on our walks and people would recognise Cain. They’d come up and ask, ‘Is that the famous dog?’, and stroke him. He was very cuddly and his tail would always wag. People loved coming up to him.”
On January 8, Tracey broke the devastating news to her social media followers that Cain had died aged 13 after battling Lymphoma since August.
Writing on Facebook, Tracey said: “Today I said goodbye to my heart.
“I had to make the most unbearable decision and let my beautiful boy, Cain, go after he lost his fight with lymphoma. I am absolutely devastated and feel completely lost without him.
“He was my boy. My constant, my comfort, my shadow, my little ‘sh*t, my reason to smile on the hardest days. My world revolved around him, and now everything feels painfully empty and quiet.
“My heart aches knowing I couldn’t save you. I hope you knew how deeply and fiercely you were loved. I would have done anything to keep you here.
“Letting you go was the last act of love I could give, even though it has torn me apart. Thank you for trusting me to be your human, my gorgeous boy.
“So run free now, Cain. No more pain, no more struggle — just peace. I will miss you for the rest of my life.”
Since announcing the loss of Cain, Tracey said she has been met with an outpouring of love with some calling for a memorial bench to be installed in his memory.
She said: “I’ve received an incredible amount of support from everyone. I’ve read through every single comment, message and like through tears.
“I’ve received private messages from people overseas including Australia and even a man from Bali who originated from Wallasey. It’s phenomenal.
“People loved seeing his smile and their home in the background.
“It was never my intention at all to have a social media famous dog. it’s just because he was a bonny dog who was really photogenic.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking finding out he had cancer in August despite the fact he’s always had health conditions but we still continued our morning walks. Vale Park was his favourite. Towards the end he would just wander and plod about. It got to a point where he’d lost his eyesight and his mobility wasn’t great but he enjoyed his routine and I never wanted to stop that.
“The emotions of losing a pet can be the same as losing a relative. You’re responsible for them their entire life. I find it incredible that people want to organise having a bench or some kind of memorial and want to do this for him and for me in a way.
“Having a memorial would give people who are grieving the loss of their pets a space to remember their loved ones.
“I’ll keep posting memories of him in the meantime as I know people look out for his pictures first thing in the morning.”