When I met my husband back in 2018 and moved into the farm I not only committed to our relationship but I also got two gorgeous dogs in with the deal.
Babes a red Labrador (left) obsessed with carrying shoes, with a tail that wags faster and harder than any propeller, appears so happy she actually smiles and gives the best hugs, and Hendricks (right) who was supposed to be a Labrador but is more like a cross with a Patterdale, small and black with his beautiful beard and eyebrows that models would kill for; he’s grumpy in the mornings, like a forever puppy the rest of the time and looks like he understands everything you say to him, an aloof but loving wonder who wooed anyone in sight.
They welcomed me from the minute I arrived. We walk for miles and they’re my partners in pretty much everything. They run upstairs in the morning to make sure I’m up and bring such positivity with them. And everytime we come home there they are, happy to see us, wagging their tails and running around in circles.
I love the crazy times after feeding where they run around and play, making me stop be in the moment and focus on making them happy. Cuddling on the sofa is one of my favourite times, when they curl up and give ultimate trust and love by falling asleep in your arms, snoring and dreaming with the most adorable little yaps. ** If you’ve never heard a dog dream give it a Google it’ll melt your heart.
I never had dogs as a kid so it was a huge learning curve but quickly I realised how much they’ve given to me. They raise my mood, love unconditionally, change the energy in the room and make me laugh.
Of course it’s not all plain sailing. Jesus I mean their farts can knock out a grown man; you have to use Poo bags which let’s face it steaming warm feaces is never top of the list to pick up with a seriously thin plastic (recycled of course) bag! The hair (Labrador’s especially) drive you up the wall, constantly sweeping becomes an obsession but it’s all worth it for the love of a dog.
The one thing that’s sure in life is death but let’s face it, we as humans do a ruddy great job of being an ostrich and sticking our heads in the sand when it comes to thinking about it. A few weeks ago I had no choice, I sat broken on the vets floor clasping Babes with my whole body trying to take in what was been said.
The day before we went for a walk in the crisp cold sunny Spring sunshine. The dogs played, I threw sticks and, apart from a little bloating, she seemed just peachy. Later that night her bloat got a little worse and she didn’t eat. For years Babes has had issues with her tummy and we have done everything in our power to help. At the ripe old age of 12 she was doing great. But I was worried.
The next morning she made it upstairs as normal but couldn’t catch her breath. I called the vet who examined and scanned her, her tummy was full of liquid and when examining it was blood. The poor girl had a tumour in her spleen, which the vet said was common in older dogs but had taken over quickly and aggressively. With the prognosis and at her age there really was only one kind decision before the pain took over. We were broken, a devastation and grief like no other.
The vets were amazing, so kind and compassionate they let us take her home, spend time with her and they came to the farm to give her a compassionate send off.
The hours we all spent with her that day will never leave me, she ate ten, that’s right, ten cheese straws, a cream donut and we even let her have chocolate what a final meal! She was elated and affectionate to have us all there, visiting us all one by one almost to say goodbye.
We gathered her bed outside with her favourite toys (and shoes) and the vet sedated her before putting her to sleep, with kind words that eased my heart but only a little. She said that when dogs leave quickly in peace like that it means they were ready to go, who knows but I’ll take it.
We didn’t know what to do about Hendricks to be honest. We decided, right or wrong, to let him be there, in the hope that he would realise that she was gone and help with easing him into a life without his best friend.
He is now my shadow, slowly, as we all are, coming to terms with her loss and holding on to each other to help ease the pain. At first I saw her everywhere and it hurt, the grief was deep and I found it overwhelming, after a couple of days I decided to turn seeing her into a positive, I now love it when I turn on a walk and catch a glimpse of her smiling at me by my side. As with all grief with time it eases. She’ll never leave me but I wouldn’t want her to, I feel so grateful for the love and happiness she brought into my life and wouldn’t change one moment.
It’s taught me a very important lesson however. You have to treasure every moment in life, you never know when you maybe doing something for the last time, as life as a knack of surprising you when you least expect it. So grasp this life, live it, be present, enjoy the small things and love your animals no matter how much they pump!
Dedicated to my darling Babes the most beautiful dog with the biggest heart. Rest well my darling and see you on the other side.
It’s just the worst when we lose these beautiful souls from our lives. They give us so much more than we can ever give them. Bless Babes and Hendricks. 💛🖤
Belatedly, sorry for your loss Jo. They steal our snacks and our hearts before we even realise it’s happened. I was heartbroken when Jasper died o suddenly, but I knew he’d gone living his best life.