IRONTON, Mo. (KMOX) - A Missouri community and fans around the world are mourning the tragic death of Ike the panhandling dog. He was killed in a hit-in-run and many believe he was struck on purpose.
Ike lived with Sherry Miller, whose home sits near the three-way stop at Highway 21 and Route N in Ironton, Missouri. That's where Ike became famous for lying in the middle of the intersection, accepting treats from those passing by, posing for photos and being a friendly to community members.
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Miller says two witnesses saw a man driving a truck with two female passengers swerve to hit the dog, then drove off on Monday. A GoFundMe page in Ike's honor says it was a "mint green Tacoma truck."
Thanks in part to a his Facebook fan group, Fans of Crossroads Dog, Ike's story as a second-generation panhandler (his father was also a staple in that same intersection) was shared by news organizations in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico, Tennessee and in countries like Belgium, Finland, Canada, India and France.
Since his death, some posts on the Facebook page have turned angry with many hoping to find the person who hit Ike.
“You look at some of his pictures when he’s looking straight at you with that innocent cute little face,” Miller told Fox 2. “I hope he sees that every time he closes his eyes. I hope he sees that because how could you do that.”
The GoFundMe page was set up by Julia Dill, who also is the admin of Ike's Facebook page. It has raised more than $1,600 towards its goal of $8,500 as of Wednesday morning. The money will be used to place a monument near the intersection.
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