Raffles

An unusual name for an unusual ambassador for his breed. He was never snappy by nature like some of his lesser counterparts. He was a dog that loved living and sharing his love with the people in his life. Countless times I have had to retrieve him from some social call or other that couldn't wait. In his eyes he was worthy of every lady dog in the area, be they great or small. In fact he seemed to work on the assumption that the bigger the better; like most men!

I have loved him very much as he and I would often be found together. His favourite place before arthritis claimed him, was in the forbidden spot at the bottom of my bed. He would growl fiercely if I moved in the night; but he was all talk. His love knew no bounds. I miss the Raffles I knew in his prime. Age is not always a blessing, for with the wisdom of hiding from Dad when he had peed on the floor, came arthritis, blindness and deafness. Soon after Toby arrived the blindness came, fortunately quickly, and both young dogs take care not to bump into him too much. Even when he can no longer see a danger, he still fights it as loudly as he did before. As I have put before, he was all talk. Those teeth have never harmed anyone in his life.

I remember lots of things that involve him. How we escaped from by bedroom when a hoard of bees came looking for shelter thorough my open window, and crawled all over absolutely everything! My first thought was to get us out of there quickly, always us together not just myself. My dogs have taught me many things, unselfishness in the face of friendship in particular.  I owe them a debt that I can only repay through remembering those lessons well.

So we have come to the end. Perhaps I have waited too long. Perhaps he would have preferred to leave me when he first stopped seeing the people he loved so much. I cannot know that however and I don't think he would have wanted me to worry about it. He hated to see me cry and would press the whole of his miniature body up against me to prevent my tears wetting his fur. He was a handsome creature in his day, despite not adhering to the traditional bows and long hair of his breed. He had a happier life for not enjoying his grooming I think. He lived life rather than watching it from a show bench.

Goodbye seems such a small word to cover such an event as this. He is the last of his generation to go, so it feels like mourning them all again. Kelly, Daisy, Jolly, Nero, Tabitha, and lately Smartie. The young ones are now the oldest ones, and so it begins again. I believe very much in Rainbow Bridge, that there is a place in heaven where they will all be waiting for me. This may be a goodbye for me, but it will be reuniting him with the friends he valued so much during his life. I wonder which body he will choose if given a choice? Will he stay the diminutive figure that I recognise in pictures, or will he choose to be the Great Dane that he always believed himself worthy of? Of which he was more than worthy of. He may have had the body of a small animal but he had the heart and courage of a lion. I am a better person for having had him for a friend. I shall miss my little soldier.

So sorry for your loss.  We know it will come one day but that day is the hardest thing to take.  We release them cos we love them.

Take care.

CG x

What a lovely and very moving tribute to Raffles x

With love
Donna and charliex

{{hugs}}

Margot

Hope Purdey is at peace now. It doesn't matter how big or how small they are does it? They still leave a gap that's too big to fill. With love to you and yours x

Donna & Charlie - thank you. He was pretty special, so it wasn't hard to write x

Thanks CG. It's not easy to do but I imagine him now as he was in his youth - and that makes me smile x

I don't normally read these because i find it too upsetting but yours was a lovely tribute.

God Bless
Sarah

So very very sorry for your loss...but you've drawn a picture of a dog I've never seen but would have been able to recognise at first glance

Karen

Dear Karen - thank you for replying. I'm glad I was able to bring him to life for you - in a funny way, by writing it all down, I did that for me too.

Thanks Sarah - I wrote it the day before we went into see Gery (my friend, vet and ex-colleague) to do what needed doing. I wrote it because I couldn't not, because I couldn't bear the thought that I might forget, because quite simply - I loved him.