His ability to avoid capture captivated an entire online community.

And now, less than a year after Kirkland – the street dog that was given the name because of his proximity to Costco where he roamed the streets in the neighborhood – found a permanent home, the dog that captured the hearts of Facebook groups has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

According to Christina Arroyo – the woman who adopted the beloved dog – Kirkland passed away from liver failure on Fourth of July after suffering health issues from the length of time that he was fending for himself while on the street.

“With Kirkland’s passing, it hit our community hard because so many loved him and will always love him,” Arroyo said. “Our boy even had his own Facebook page called Kirkland’s Journey so his followers could always be involved in his life.

“My husband and I considered Kirkland our Son. He filled our hearts with so much love, laughter and happiness within the 11 months that we had him.”

And while the health impacts from roaming the streets for such a long time wasn’t unexpected, the fact that the illness that eventually led to his death could have been prevented have made the news particularly hard for those who wanted to give him a new lease on life.

“Kirkland’s condition could have been prevented if his previous owners would have vaccinated him as a puppy,” Arroyo said. “My hope is another dog will never have to go through what our boy went through and Kirkland’s legacy will live on forever in our community.”

On multiple local Facebook groups the exploits of Kirkwood became commonplace as people would post photos of the dog and their attempts to provide him food or even lure him close enough to capture him so that he could be cared for.

He was eventually captured by the Manteca Police Department’s animal control officers, and the news generated so much interest in the community that the Manteca Police Department chose to post about it on its social media accounts to notify people of the update.

Dogs like Kirkland that are rescued from the street can suffer from parasites, rabies, distemper, or other afflictions that come as a result of a lack of preventative care, malnutrition, and living in the elements.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.