Dignity was recommended by our vet Mr. Beadle in 1996 and all eight of our rescue dogs have passed through this excellent company on their final journeys and we have always been impressed by the quality of the service.
We take our dogs to Dignity and use the same metal urn for the ashes which are then scattered in their favourite places. The urn carries the names Major, Muttley, Penny, Roly, Jake, Rocco, Sasha and sadly now Bernard. It has many labels and is a great reminder of the good times.
Bernard was extremely unlucky during his short life. He was born blind and later abandoned by his owner after eight years. He was found wandering petrified next to the River Blackwater in January 2022 and became in the care of the R.S.P.C.A. who named him Bernard. Nobody wanted to adopt him so we fostered him until a new home could be found. Sadly no interest was shown so we offered him a permanent home. His confidence grew quickly along with his cheeky and mischievous side. He was very independent and quickly learned the layout of the house and to avoid obstacles. He opened doors by standing up on his hind legs and pulling down on the door handles. He became confident around people and spent much time playing tug-of-war, rolling his basketball around the garden or lying in the sun. Everyone who met him on his walks adored his good nature and his natural ability to be affectionate and loving. This cheeky chap became an important part of our lives and we looked forward to another 4-5 years of mutual companionship.
A year quickly passed and just before his ninth birthday, Bernard became unwell. The local vet diagnosed a problem with his prostate. Referral to ‘The Ralph’ (an excellent state-of-the-art veterinary referral centre) resulted in the diagnosis of a very aggressive prostate tumour that had invaded his bladder. This was rare for dogs of middle age and he became one of the unlucky few dogs affected. Surgery was not possible and after a few weeks Bernard stopped eating and drinking as his condition worsened. I called various vet practices for help to no avail. I checked the Dignity website and thankfully found Fred Lambert who euthanises dogs at home. Fred arrived within 40 minutes and gave Bernard a thorough examination before administering the euthanasia drug. I took Bernard to Dignity the following day and booked the Two Day Service.
Life can be cruel at times and although he coped admirably with blindness and being abandoned, Bernard’s new found happiness in his forever home was not to last. His run of bad luck continued and soon after being diagnosed with a tumour, he died peacefully at home on a lovely summer evening.
Bernard was a perfect dog who never did anything wrong during his time with us and given the chance, we would do it all again for this unfortunate cheeky lad.
R.I.P. Bernard; you were with us only for a year but you gave us much joy, pleasure and companionship.