Vince's Dog Memorial

by Fi
(Oxon, UK)

Vince in August 2008

Vince came into our lives in August 1998. We were celebrating our first wedding anniversary and thought getting our first shared dog would be a good way to celebrate. I worked part time so I knew we'd be able to give a dog the attention it required. Hugh (my other half) had always had Jack Russels when he was growing up and was fairly insistent that we get a JRT.

We both felt that getting a rescue dog would be better for us and set out to find the youngest Russell we could find. It took a few weeks of phoning around the rescue centers before we found a place that had two. There was Lucy who was a nutty rough haired. She was let out and did the wall of death around the garden with a wild look in her eye. She certainly had her own special appeal but when Vince was introduced to us we instantly felt he was the right dog for us.

He was quiet and calm but friendly. We were told that he was re-homed due to the previous owners other dog (a boxer) bullying him and his behavior confirmed this. He was never great with larger dogs. We were also keen to make sure he'd be OK with children as we planned to have kids one day. We were assured that he came from a home with kids and the temporary carer he was with also fostered children. So,after getting the garden dog proofed and having the checks he came to join us.

We were lucky enough to have centuries old woodland on our doorstep to take our walks. He'd go crazy each spring with all the scents as the wildlife became more active. Once, he disappeared only to be found halfway down a badger set,nose to nose with a young cub. He was also easily hypnotized by water and had to be dragged out of ponds and rivers on several occasions.

He'd just happily spend ages batting and snapping at the water. As we got to know him other quirks to his character began to show. He would go loopy if anyone struck a match and also hated our didgeridoo with a passion. If anyone ever tried to play it he'd attack it snarling and growling.

He'd been with us for a couple of years before we both struck lucky when I got a job as a gardener on a 14 acre estate belonging to a manor house. Once my employers knew I had a dog they said I was welcome to bring him with me. He loved it there and would happily chase pheasants all day.

Life carried on like that for him for 2 more years and then I became pregnant. I swear he never left my side for the whole nine months and when our baby arrived he was massively protective and would bark if anyone so much as looked at our house... Not always appreciated especially if the baby had just got to sleep. In those early days of my sons life I think Vince probably saved my sanity. Just getting out with him a couple of times a day meant I got to see other dog walkers and the baby loved being outside in the sling.

A few more years passed by and as my son grew Vince grew more wary of him preferring to find a quiet spot where small people didn't go. We had another son and Vince remained as calm and constant as he always was. Things began to change over the last three years. I'm not sure whether it was due to the children growing and not being at his level anymore but he actually started to seek them out and would cuddle up to them on the sofa. They loved it as much as he did.

I first noticed his decline about a year ago. His graying muzzle was one of the first physical signs and was not too worrying. Months later he started to behave oddly,almost like dementia. I'd find him with his head in the corner of a room or he'd go out to the garden and come back only to want to go out again minutes later. He was very unsettled.

His legs would also fail him and he'd fall downstairs. We kept him downstairs towards the end. He had very little appetite and was losing weight at an alarming rate. We were lucky enough to have a good vet who didn't pressurize us to have investigative tests to find the cause of his problems. He agreed with us that an old and frail dog like Vince would find it too stressful. So we just made life as bearable as possible for him and tried to get him to eat.

Eventually though we couldn't stand to see him looking so ill and with heavy hearts we asked our vet to end his life. We brought him home to bury in his favorite spot in the garden. He's been gone a month now and there are still times when I expect him to be here. He was the best dog we could have hoped for.