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| Oscar helping with haymaking |
We have some very sad news as Oscar the dog was put to sleep today...just eight days short of his 16th birthday. It's strange in a way, because we had elderly dogs staying here over Christmas who were not in as great shape as Oscar...and he was certainly not the one we were expecting to go first, bless him.
Oscar had been here for 3 years and was adopted by Ted and Jenny from the Dog's Trust at the age of 12. This was his 6th home and he'd been with the Dog's Trust since he was a puppy. He was such a lovely boy. He really struggled at the kennels with night terrors, something with he overcame here - with Jenny putting lots of hours in with him. He was also known for chasing cats - able to completely immobilise them in one move with one placing of the paw (a skill some vets would probably envy!) but he NEVER hurt them. When Oscar arrived here, Treacle (the cat out on the yard) won him around and the two were firm friends - and in the afternoon Treacle would often accompany Ted and Oscar on their walk - cat and dog side by side.
Oscar was pretty sprightly for his age and EVERYONE loved him...even people who usually didn't like dogs. Oscar never barked (unless he was stuck and it was an emergency!), would never rush up to people. He was very friendly and would always say hello to people. He was great with kids and always loved a cuddle. His shaggy dog looks made him particularly irresistible.
When Oscar first came he still loved to run and I can remember taking him out with Kes the Saluki/Lurcher - Kes with his long, floaty strides and Oscar doing double steps to Kes' single glide - they are were perfect unison flowing along at the same speed.
Oscar was a master at the art of communication. He had the best "sit" in the world when it came to treats or persuading someone into a biscuit. He never pestered anyone, he'd just sit at a polite distance and stare at your eyes, beaming the thoughts across. Without a single murmur he could get his message across very succinctly. If Jenny fell to sleep at his dinner time, he would find Faye, do his special "sit" and give direct irresistible eye contact. When he had your attention this was followed by a lick of the lips and that was enough for him to know the message would be passed on. He'd go away and lie down if Jenny wasn't quite ready yet...he knew the message had been received. No extra fuss than that. Margaret always brought his favourite sandwiches if she was staying at lunchtime - cheese and marmalade. Roy went on special trips to buy him dog biscuits. Margaret was always on standby if a dog sitter was required.
Oscar's extra favourite foods were baked beans, tomatoes, pizza and just about anything on offer at the end of a dinner. Oscar had just had the best Christmas ever - one of the elderly dogs staying was very picky about her food, so lots of scrumptiously different things were tried and whatever she didn't want Oscar gleefully finished up on her behalf. Such a dream for a dog! We didn't know his time was nearly up but at least he didn't have a long illness. His legs suddenly went yesterday - the red light therapy meant there was no pain - that is such a gift - but on this occasion there was not going to be a recovery. Our sincere thanks to Dale the vet for his help today - such a thoughtful and calm manner that meant everything was very peaceful for dog and humans alike.
Oscar was such a special boy - we promised him he'd never need another home and that promise was fulfilled. Faye and Oscar had a very special bond, and whether he's here or not, - it's something that will be cherished forever.
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| Ted and Jenny meeting Oscar at the Dog's Trust in 2014 |
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| Oscar in the Dog's Trust Advert 1 |
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| Oscar in the Dog's Trust Advert 2 |
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| Soon After Arriving |
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