MMy partner Paul and I are dog lovers at heart, but with our corporate jobs, it was never practical or fair for us to have our own dog. But with lockdown our working situation has changed, so we visited Oxford Animal Sanctuary and met Buddy, a Labrador-Border Collie cross. He is 9 years old and was very reactive towards other dogs. Knowing that he had spent three years in and out of kennels, we couldn't bear the idea of leaving him in an incredibly stressful environment. So on July 4th, 2020 we brought him home.
To us, Buddy was obedient, gentle, and obedient. He never barked or lunged. He was the perfect family dog. He was a real guy and loved to wake us up by putting the corner of the comforter in his mouth and tearing it off. He loved to play football and always tried to join in when I did yoga with Adrian or tried a Joe Wicks workout. However, the shelter warned that if the dog saw other dogs, it would become agitated and aggressive and want to charge. So every time we took him for a walk, Paul had to go ahead and make sure the shore was clear.
In 2022 we moved to a house with a bigger yard so I stopped taking Buddy for walks and instead he enjoyed playing there. It made me sad to think of all the experiences he missed out on, but he couldn't have been more loved.
Then, last August, the dog developed severe lameness in its front left leg, which veterinarians diagnosed as arthritis and muscle wasting. He was prescribed pain medication, but within a month the pain returned. We were going back and forth to the vet and by February of this year he was in constant pain and every day was a struggle. We made the heartbreaking decision to put him to sleep because we knew it was unfair to him.
That's when Paul had the idea to arrange a trip to a pet store so he could experience a new place filled with delicious smells, smells, and treats. I had to make sure there were no other dogs there. We contacted Pets at Home in Bicester and they agreed to stand guard and give us a time when no one was around.
On February 15th, Paul and I broke apart as Buddy limped through the store door and was greeted by a sign written in treats that read, “Hello, Buddy!” He was so excited that he almost went limp as he walked around sniffing the footprints of candy left by the staff. After about 30 minutes we thanked them and left, but Buddy didn't want to get in the car.
The next morning we said our final goodbyes. Buddy has brought us so much joy and we are happy to be able to give him one final treat. We call it his his his his Make a Wish his event. This is because we know that all his wishes were supposed to come true.
