Sadly, we had to farewell our beloved Chocolate Labrador Riggsy last Thursday. It was sudden, unexpected and surreal. Happy one day, gone the next. Impossible to comprehend.
From day 1, 11 years ago, he had us fooled. We were putty in his paws and he used his cuteness like any adorable puppy could. He chewed through his first new collar during the ride from RSPCA, where we met him, to his new forever home with us. He wakes us up in the middle of the night just so dad would tuck him back into bed which dad does, lovingly, every time. He was an adorable, cheeky character that you could not help but love.
Riggsy, our dear nutty boy, we will miss your excitable way and your enthusiasm that always put a smile on our faces. We will miss the sound of your paws and the touch of your nose. But most of all, we will miss your unconditional love.
Thank you beautiful for hanging in there so we could all be by your side to say our final goodbyes.
May you rest in peace darling and rejoice in your brother’s company once again.
Days may pass, Nights may fall,
We will love you forever more.
Be free from this world,
But not from our hearts,
Let sleep not keep us apart.
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We bid farewell to our beloved Labrador, Sandy, early Monday morning. A dear friend of 11 years, a much loved family member, and in truth my first baby boy.
He was a gentle, fun loving soul known for his cross legged elegance. He was adventurous and tough, surviving being hit by a motorbike, his first bout of cancer, and an escape from a sitter’s home that led him and his brother across a busy freeway. He loved the beach and did the most impressive horizontal dives and belly whacks. We will miss the laughter and joy he brought into our lives.
Sandy, in your final weeks when the illness took you so rapidly, it was an honour to care for you and to thank you for all your years of dedication and love. It was heartbreaking to see your health decline but we are so grateful to have been there with you through till the end. Letting you go is one of the hardest things I have ever experienced. The moment you left us was gut wrenching and left me gasping for air. We will miss you dearly.
Rest in peace my beautiful boy xxoo
The sun will be out,
Morning is nigh,
We will hold you into the light.
Be free from this world,
But not from our hearts,
Let sleep not keep us apart.
Our doggies have had a rough trot the past month. Within 3 weeks, both have had surgeries requiring hospital care. We’ve had them for 10 years and only 1 hospital trip prior. We’ve been lucky considering they are rather indiscriminate with what they put in their mouths and can be a bit nutty out and about. This month we were confronted with some difficult questions and in the end, we realised how much we needed to give back to these beautiful creatures who have been a part of our family memories for a good decade. They’ve given us unconditional love and tolerated new family members who’ve gradually taken over their place on the couch and in the house.
Thanks for growing old with us but it’s not yet time my sweets. Looking forward to many more years of nuttiness ♥
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PHOTO TIP: It’s almost as hard to get doggies to stay still for photos as it is for kids. Our labs whilst nutty are well trained to sit, drop, wait, leave etc. This helps immensely, especially with treat in hand. I usually do a quick sit, drop, wait, reward activity to get them into listening then stretch the wait time out a little so I can compose my shot. Yes, I did crop his snout out deliberately as I like being eye level to them and I do get very close :) …If your dog just won’t sit and wait etc then don’t attempt sit down photos until they’ve had a very good run.
