A sad and happy time, and a big thanks.

Galaxy66

Galaxy66

Jeremy Beadle
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My name is Mal not Jeremy :)
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Hi folks, I have not been on here posting for nearly a week, If you have time to read I am going to tell you why......

Willis, our other Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, (Toby is the one in my avatar), had not been well of late, he was receiving treatment at the Vets for a few issues. Unfortunately animals can not tell their owners what is wrong, how much easier a vets job would be if this were possible, you could say a vets job is more difficult than a doctors for this reason.

Willis and Margie, my wife were devoted to each other but he would sometimes sit on my lap when his preferred lap was not available.

As well as his other complaints including a dramatic loss of weight which were manageable, he contracted a respiratory condition which was very unpleasant for him, sadly this was the catalyst for what was the most difficult decision we have ever had to make and we said goodbye to him last Wednesday morning.
It was a very sad but touching moment, we had 5 minutes with him before and after the event, the vet and his assistant were very professional and compassionate, Willis was no longer with us but the the decision was only made with him in mind, he is no longer suffering.

We were heartbroken at losing Willis, who at 12 happy years of age was as fit as any young dog up until he was not well. I carried him to the car, I could hardly see for the tears, we drove the 15 tearful miles home and I immediately prepared a spot for him in the corner of the garden, he now lies under a lilac bush.

Although we still had one dog, the house was empty without Willis, we just never thought this day would come, He was no longer there at breakfast time on "toast alert" begging for his share, we could no longer hear his rubber toys being squeaked and he was nowhere to be seen in the garden, only Toby was there to be seen looking all around for Willis. He is a big miss, Toby who is deaf was especially missing him as Willis was his leader. Toby was some comfort for Margie, but he is a one man dog, would only sit on my lap, and would go for a walk only with me or if I were present.

Although I have not been posting, my message box has been filing up quickly due to the messages of sympathy and support from friends I have made on here, something I did not have 4 years ago when I lost a Rough Collie in similar circumstances after 14 years, he was a big loss but losing Willis was tough as he was special.

A big thanks goes to those who caused my message box to go into overdrive but I must single out Janice, and John, (Dark Star) Janice I got to know through her decision to enjoy the benefits of owning a Cavalier King Charles, she contacted me enquiring about them, she has been a rock :hug:, and Janice, I will take this opportunity to make a confession.........I did not dare mention to you at the time you enquired that it took nearly a year before Willis was 100% house trained .........sorry :D :exit:
John, a big, big thanks to you also.



Now to get to the happy bit :)Trevor (Happy Haggis) who also keeps Cavlaiers informed me there was a faint hope of a 6 month pup being available, not coming at a better time I hung on to that faint hope praying that it would come true,............it did thanks to Nicki his wife who, despite never having met me convinced a breeder friend of hers that we could provide a lovely home for Serge the 6 month old pup in question.

I must also thank Trevor and Nicki for the sympathy and support on learning of our loss.


A big black cloud has now been lifted, we are having a trip up to Scotland on Wednesdayto meet Nicki and the "wee boy" (who incidentally is being looked after by them) he will not be coming home with us straight away, we will to collecting him from The owner in a few weeks.

Social networking is a wonderful thing, without which, via this forum, I would not have met some really nice people.

A big thanks also to Marcel and the rest of the team for creating what must be one of the friendliest forums ever. :ty:


Willis is on the Left. :crying:

IMG_4612-1.jpg


"My New Boy" Serge :love: ( apologies Janice for stealing your title)

Serge4.jpg
 
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never an easy time
went through a similar thing with our 18 yr old cat a couple of years back
he still haunts the place!

hang in there
 
"The worst thing about life is the number of horses and dogs you outlive." - Lord Oaksey
 
Oh Mal, I have just shed a tear. It reminded me of when we had to make the same decision for our cat a few years ago. She is now resting under a yellow rose bush in our back garden where a small cat sundial also marks the spot. My heart goes out to you and Margie, he will live on in yours forever I'm sure.
 
Man I know how you feel, we had to let our 7 year old GSD go when his back end went, but in himself he was still like a pup, but when you seen him trying to run but draging his back end it hurt me so mutch.
 
I feel for you Mal.

Never nice loosing your pets.

We can tell that our cat is on its way out. :(

Happy for you that you have found a new dog.And wish youan your wife many happ years with him :)

Jordie
 
I've never had any pets that close to me, but my mate just lost his dog that he's had since he was a small child and it seriously gutted him. I can't imagine what that must be like :( I hope you get memories as good with your new dog :)
 
Sorry about your loss. I had this situation with my first dog stella a german shepherd, after an operation to remove a growth it came back quickly and the vet said it would be best not to operate again. We chose a home visit when the growth became too big it was the worst day of my life holding her as the vet injected her.
 
I find it hard to form an attachment to pets (I think it's a result of a childhood event but that's another story) so I can't say I know how you feel but your post conveys your feelings very well and my sympathy goes out to you. Your new pup, however, looks extremely cute and I'm sure he'll help fill the void nicely.
 
So sorry for your loss :( i cant imagine how awful you must have felt. i hope that Serge brings you guys and Toby much happiness :)
 
Any time I read a post like this it brings me down, my own dog is 17-18 years old and though she's happy and fit (albeit deaf as a post), I know she can't have too much longer and I'll miss her something awful. I'm glad you found a pup to help fill the empty space though m8 :)
 
I feel for you and sympathise - dogs make wonderful companions and leave a big hole in our hearts and homes when they go.

I went though this in March with Kobra and will be going though it again before too long with her daughter Maverick, who is my avatar, as she has lymphoma

I hope you and the new lad all suit each other and that he will help to heal the gap.
 
That will touch the heart strings of any true dog lover who has shared similar circumstances Mal. My condolances...
 
Mal, so sorry for the loss of Willis. Anyone who has owned a pet will agree that they are always more than just an animal...they are one of the family.

I'm sure when Serge joins you he'll be greatly welcomed and enjoy his new home.

As for the thanks...you are too kind. We merely provide the platform. Its you lot that make the forum. :)
 
My sincerest, heartfelt sympathies to you. My big soft white German Shepherd, Harley, is nearing the end of his journey and I can imagine just how big a hole it will leave in our lives. I hope Serge brings you much comfort and happiness.
 
So sorry to hear about your loss, Mal. I remember only too well the day my BC died and the hole that left in our lives. I know Serge will never replace Willis, but he looks like he too will be a source of many years of happiness for you all :)
 
So sorry to have heard of your loss, Mal. But also glad to hear that there is a happy ending to it as you have your new Spaniel. May he bring you many more years of joy and happiness.
Indeed, it's never easy losing a pet. I've kept a cat of one type or another and each and every one of them had their own character and it's always sad when they go. My current one is a black cat called Chad, and is basically still a teenager in cats year and am very fond of him.
 
No pain quite like it, but glad you found some comfort through the forum.
We're all partly consumed by photography, but underneath most members is a big enough soul to understand the compassion towards our furry/wooly friends.
I'm sure Serge will put the light back on for you all. :)
 
Mal, sorry for your loss :(
 
The worst days of my life have been when my dogs died.

Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.

Written by Lord Byron on the loss of his Newfoundland
 
Sorry to hear that Mal condolences to you and yours :(
But as they say every cloud has a silver lining (y)
And I hope everything works out for you on the "new one"
 
We are very grateful for those kind words from all of you, words so nice our eyes welled up once again, but not for sorrow this time.
Dogs have an uncanny sense of knowing what is going on around them and Toby has been very subdued today, I think he is beginning to realise that Willis is not coming back.
We are very grateful for Trevor and Nicki for writing the happy ending to our story, we are also very lucky to find ourselves being offered Serge due to the circumstances.

Margie is a great believer in fate so all was meant to be.
 
sorry to hear of the loss of Willis, Serge looks like he's going to be a bundle of fun.:)

I was amazed how easy cav's are to train, Mollie our cav was house trained in 3 days with the help of a cage and learned lay in 10 minutes(cheese):D

It's nice when they're buried at home, somewhere to sit on a sunny day knowing they're there.
 
You and Mrs G have had such a rotten year so far, it just doesn't seem fair.

Hearing about Willis really upset me because it's so hard losing pets. No matter what people say they are part of your family and should be treated as such (which is why my little boy Cyrille - a 7 year old budgie sleeps under the holly bush. His mate Screech still shows no signs of following him even 3 years later).

Although Serge will never fully fill the gap left behind, he looks like he's going to be a bit mischevious. I hope he makes you smile
 
Galaxy66 said:
A big thanks goes to those who caused my message box to go into overdrive but I must single out Janice, and John, (Dark Star).
Janice I got to know through her decision to enjoy the benefits of owning a Cavalier King Charles, she contacted me enquiring about them, she has been a rock :hug:, and Janice, I will take this opportunity to make a confession.........I did not dare mention to you at the time you enquired that it took nearly a year before Willis was 100% house trained .........sorry :D :exit:
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Grrrrrr :bat: you lied to me!!!!!!! but Im glad you did, or I'd not have my little Reuben now, who looks just like your new boy. :D
 
keep strong Mal. At least you know you gave Willis the best possible life he could have had and that is something to be proud of. I'm sure the new lad will get just the same love and affection - so hold your heads up high, feel proud and look forward to giving another hound a wonderful life.
 
This is all part of the life and death process. It's hard not to feel upset in situations like this. Glad to see you back and also glad that you have a new family member :)
 
Thanks guys, appreciated:ty:

Janice said:
Grrrrrr :bat: you lied to me!!!!!!! but Im glad you did, or I'd not have my little Reuben now, who looks just like your new boy. :D
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Even if Reuben takes a year to housetrain and turns out half as nice as our Willis he will be worth it Janice :)
 
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Sorry to hear of your sad loss :hug: That is the one downside of being owned by pets. Hopefully you will have many happy years to come with your new boy.
 
Mal, I can only repeat what has been said, I think all pet lovers have been through the same at some point, or know they will at some point in the future and it never ever gets any easier. Our only consolation is knowing that after they have given us years of devotion and loyalty, we can, if needed, take the decision to ensure they don't suffer.

Wishing you huge amounts of luck and fun with the new boy, though don't expect to get too much of a look in, I suspect your wife will make him her own :LOL:




Oh, on a side note, many [too many] years ago, when I was a teen I wanted to be a vet and even spent 3 years working after school at a local vets. At the time [though I doubt it is the case now], you actually needed higher exam results than you did to get into medicine. One college explained that there were two reasons for this, the main one being that there were less places available, with only 5 veterinary colleges in the country at that time, the 2nd one being that they did indeed consider it a more difficult job. ;)
 
Mal, you already know how we both felt at your sad news and we were delighted to be able to help, not only you and Margie, but Serge also. We are confident that he is coming to a very loving home and will be spoilt rotten! ;)
Serge will never, ever replace Willis, but we hope he will be a worthy successor and show you the love and devotion you deserve. Don't forget to bring some face wipes with you tomorrow as he is a VERY kissy boy. :LOL:

Janice - don't take any notice, house training is easy with Cavaliers, particularly the boys and Serge is trained already. Mind you, there's always puberty to think about. That's when he will start peeing up curtains and sofas and anywhere else he can. :D
 
Mrs Happy Haggis here :D

Mal your post was lovely - we are so glad we have been able to help, you have the most wonderful home and life to offer, and we hope that Serge will help to fill the gaping hole that Willis has left.

He's a very precious and special wee man, his parents have had all the health checks and we hope he will have a long, happy life.

Looking forward to meeting you both tomorrow - and darling Toby too, he sounds such a character.



There are so many lovely replies in this thread, it's wonderful to know that there are such thoughtful people out there in computer land who have been supporting you through this tough time :clap:

I was sent this poem after we lost our precious oldie, Rupert, back in December - it comes with a Kleenex warning but really sums things up:

I Loved You Best

So this is where we part, My Friend

and you'll run on, around the bend

Gone from sight but not from mind

new pleasures there you'll surely find

I will go on, I'll find the strength

life measures quality, not its length

One long embrace before you leave

share one last look before I grieve

There are others, that much is true

but they will be they and they aren't you

And I, fair, impartial or so I thought

I'll remember all you've taught

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed

the fur I stroked. the nose I kissed

And as you journey to your final rest,

take with you this...I loved you best

Jim Willis @2002


They are all special in their own ways, but there is always one you particularly bond with.


Here's to many happy days with Serge - off to bath him now so he looks especially handsome for tomorrow.

{I love that photo too, my apologies for chopping off the top of his head though :eek: it was with the 200mm and I couldn't run backwards fast enough LOL}



Janice, don't worry, they are usually very clean and fairly quick to housetrain {especially if you use a puppy pen or cage for when you not wathching them} - the boys are actually easier than the girls, until they hit puberty that is!!! With only one boy in the house you should be fine...

Hope Reuben is doing well, he looked lovely in your photos :)
 
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Hope the new pup gives you many happy hours. They never quite replace the one that went before though.
I had a special "place" on the hill where my last one & I used to sit & just enjoy each others company.
 
happy haggis said:
Mrs Happy Haggis here

Mal your post was lovely - we are so glad we have been able to help, you have the most wonderful home and life to offer, and we hope that Serge will help to fill the gaping hole that Willis has left.

He's a very precious and special wee man, his parents have had all the health checks and we hope he will have a long, happy life.

Looking forward to meeting you both tomorrow - and darling Toby too, he sounds such a character.



There are so many lovely replies in this thread, it's wonderful to know that there are such thoughtful people out there in computer land who have been supporting you through this tough time :clap:

I was sent this poem after we lost our precious oldie, Rupert, back in December - it comes with a Kleenex warning but really sums things up:

I Loved You Best

So this is where we part, My Friend

and you'll run on, around the bend

Gone from sight but not from mind

new pleasures there you'll surely find

I will go on, I'll find the strength

life measures quality, not its length

One long embrace before you leave

share one last look before I grieve

There are others, that much is true

but they will be they and they aren't you

And I, fair, impartial or so I thought

I'll remember all you've taught

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed

the fur I stroked. the nose I kissed

And as you journey to your final rest,

take with you this...I loved you best

Jim Willis @2002

That was lovely,and yes we did reach for the kleenex
Penned by Jim Willis:thinking:

They are all special in their own ways, but there is always one you particularly bond with.


Here's to many happy days with Serge - off to bath him now so he looks especially handsome for tomorrow.

{I love that photo too, my apologies for chopping off the top of his head though :eek: it was with the 200mm and I couldn't run backwards fast enough LOL}



Janice, don't worry, they are usually very clean and fairly quick to housetrain {especially if you use a puppy pen or cage for when you not wathching them} - the boys are actually easier than the girls, until they hit puberty that is!!! With only one boy in the house you should be fine... ***

Hope Reuben is doing well, he looked lovely in your photos :)
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happy haggis said:
Mal, you already know how we both felt at your sad news and we were delighted to be able to help, not only you and Margie, but Serge also. We are confident that he is coming to a very loving home and will be spoilt rotten! ;) You can bet on that :D
Serge will never, ever replace Willis, but we hope he will be a worthy successor and show you the love and devotion you deserve. Don't forget to bring some face wipes with you tomorrow as he is a VERY kissy boy. :LOL:

Got a box full:D

Janice - don't take any notice, house training is easy with Cavaliers, particularly the boys and Serge is trained already. Mind you, there's always puberty to think about. That's when he will start peeing up curtains and sofas and anywhere else he can. :D
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***How do i get the feeling I am going to be ticked off for revealing Willis took nearly a year:D
 
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Yvonne, Charlie, Jamie, Cheryl, thanks for your thoughts:ty:
 
Early start this morning, we have a 3 1/2 hr drive ahead of us to when we introduce Serge to Toby, Margie will be the first to give him a big cuddle, we are really looking forward to seeing him in the flesh, a big stage in getting over the loss of Willis. Hope the sun is shining at the right time , but even if it is chucking it down it will not matter:)

Pics to follow when we get back:)
 
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