Beloved Midtown pet sitter dies after suffering head injury while walking 2 dogs

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood is mourning the loss of a beloved pet sitter who was found dead from a head injury after walking two dogs.

Diego Christian died after he was found unconscious around 6:30 a.m. July 11 outside of Triple Jay’s Pizza on Piedmont Ave.

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Friends said he was walking two of his favorite dogs when he died and that they were still attached to his arm when he was found. What caused the head injury has not been determined.

The community is now trying to raise money for his burial through GoFundMe.

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“Diego Christian was a fixture of the Midtown ATL community he lived in,” friend Matthew Doyle said on GoFundeMe. “He was an adored pet sitter, caring friend, and beloved family member and was well-known by many Midtown residents for his huge smile, contagious laugh and charming accent.”

Doyle said Christian cared for hundreds of dogs that he took care of as his own for Midtown residents.

“Diego was synonymous with what makes Midtown special and he brought joy to the lives of everyone and every dog he touched. Whether it was his bold fashion choices, his signature headphones and backpack, his friendly waves from his perch sitting upon the stoop outside of his building,” Doyle wrote.

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Doyle said Christian saved many dogs’ lives and cooked a nightly dinner for the dogs he cared for.

The money raised will help go towards Christian’s burial and toward an animal charity.

“Diego is Midtown,” Shelley Williams wrote. “Our four-legged friends and neighbors will miss him so very much - his friendly energy was contagious and his smile brightened our sidewalks as he did what he loved.”

Doyle said autopsy results are still pending. The community is asking for anyone who may have cameras that faced Piedmont between 10th and 11th street to turn any footage from that morning over to the police.

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