Pit Bull Mix Who Led Rescuer To Fallen Owner In Double Trouble State Park Up For Major Award

The relationship between Dona Timoney and her rescued pit bull mix 'Lilly' was a true love story.

Dona adopted Lilly after she was removed from a horrific "drug house" situation in North Carolina. She fed her, played with her and always had a back seat full of dog toys in her car.

Lilly returned the love many times before she and Dona went for their final walk together down a sugar sand path in Double Trouble State Park last June.

Dona had complained of a massive headache the night before she died, her daughter Amanda Timoney recalled. But neither woman thought anything of it, since they both routinely suffered headaches.

Something happened on the trail in Double Trouble that sunny Friday. Dona collapsed just off a path leading to some cranberry bogs. And Lilly sprung into action.

She ran up the path, her pink leash dragging, and found Bayville resident Frank Delarosa, who was taking a walk. When he attempted to grab Lily's leash to lead her up to the park office, the dog ran back down the path, back to Dona.

The story of the plucky little dog was the most viewed ever in Patch history, garnering more than half a million page views, 24,000 recommendations and 544 comments.

Lilly is an entrant in the Humane Society of the United States "Pet of Valor" contest. Amanda Timoney - who took her mother's dog in after Dona died - is hoping to get as many people as possible to vote for her.

"Please take a moment to click on the link, read about and vote for Lilly, as well as forward this to anyone you think would vote for my girl," Amanda said in an e-mail to Patch.  I am not the kind of person that solicits for anything, but for my fur family, I will do just about anything."

The deadline for voting is 5 p.m. on Friday. You can vote once a day. Here's the link to vote:

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pets_of_valor_vote&s_src=sh_mailtoar_pov13

If Lilly wins this contest - Joe's Place, the Medford, New Jersey shelter where Dona adopted her - will win 500 pounds of dog food.

"Regardless of who wins, Lilly will be my valor pet for life!" Amanda said.

Dona was unconscious when Berkeley Police Detective Will Cullen and Patrolman Jon Sperber arrived on the scene. She lingered in the intensive care unit at before she died of a brain aneurysm 12 days after she collapsed.

Amanda moved into her mother's house in Beachwood after her death and inherited her mother's pets, including Lilly. There was never a question of keeping any of the animals, Amanda said.

"Some people said to me after my mother died, 'I hope you can find her a good home,' " Amanda recalled last year. "She's got a home."