It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of the passing of our little lad Jester.
We received a call just short of 12 years ago to go and pick up a very young puppy originally called Danny. He came home to our house to wait for a new home, but following failed attempts to find him a new home, he was destined to stay with us. Some members of the family (actually all of us, were happy for him to stay). Calm, loving and with faultless obedience, he grew from a 12 week old pup to a handsome, extremely well behaved family dog. Loved by everyone and responding with the same level of love back. Happy on a lead, but extremely well behaved off.
Although struggling from a battle with an incurable illness over the last few months, he reached his 12th birthday. Unable to win his battle, he finally succumbed to the issues with his health and had to leave us today. 12 marvellous years as a truly wonderful member of the family. Now at peace but always remembered.
This was our late Springer Spaniel, Buster – he loved the water, especially his paddling pool and even though he went completely blind in his last couple of years of life he still loved it.
It is with much sadness that we share the news that Hoover, aged 14½, has gone to Rainbow Bridge. He enjoyed several short walks over Christmas with his volunteer dog walkers, as well as with kennel staff, and he was treated to a new blanket, a new collar and a new toy – to add to the already sizeable collection in his kennel.
Sadly, although the monthly injections he had recently been prescribed had initially improved his mobility, Hoover suddenly took a turn for the worse and his health deteriorated rapidly. He gave us the look that every dog owner dreads – as if to say, “I’m tired, I need to rest”. NWESSR’s Trustees decided that the time had come for us to do the kindest thing. Hoover slipped away quickly and peacefully at the vet’s with his head resting in the hands of one of NWESSR’s Trustees, who had walked him most weekends for many years.
Hoover first came to NWESSR when he was just two years old when, following the birth of a baby, his owner did not have enough time for him. He was rehomed but was returned to us five years later. He was then rehomed twice for very short periods, but he didn’t settle and was returned to us again.
He then spent a couple of years in kennels where he seemed to flourish. He always loved his personal space, just watching the activity around him, but he also had freedom to come and go – and at one time even had his own paddling pool! He was a pleasure to take on a long walk and he adored swimming in the river.
Hoover liked to snooze in a camping chair which, along with his numerous toys, became a signature feature in his kennel! Nervous dogs were sometimes kennelled near to him, to help them overcome their fears, and he always loved the company of female dogs in the kennels opposite him, or out in the paddock!
After one last attempt to find Hoover his forever home when he was 10 years old, he was again returned to NWESSR – at which time we took the unusual decision that it wasn’t fair to keep uprooting him and that we would let him stay in kennels. Maybe it was because of his need for his own space that kennels proved the best option for Hoover, and he happily settled back into this routine.
It is due to the incredible generosity of Hoover’s sponsors that we were able to keep him safe, healthy and happy for as long as possible, and we are truly grateful for that support.
As the vet’s put it, Hoover was “a much-loved, long-standing member of the NWESSR family”. He will be sorely missed by everyone at NWESSR, and by the understanding kennel staff who’ve cared for him over the years, with whom he was a firm favourite.
It is with great sadness that we need to inform you of the passing of our amazing girl Pippa. NWESSR allowed this lovely little girl to come home with us in 2010. She instantly became one of the family but was a bit blown away with all the open space and strange animals up here in the Yorkshire Dales. Pippa travelled all over the country with us staying in hotels, B&Bs and pod’s. After falling in the canal one day whilst chasing a duck, she discovered her love of water and has spent half of her life swimming in the various rivers in the Yorkshire Dales. At the age of 11yrs she finally began to slow down, but was still ready for any outing. Over the past few months at the age of 14yrs her age caught up with her and arthritis set in. Last week she had a seizure for the first time, but last night she collapsed on a walk and had another seizure. We rushed her to the vets where she had another seizure and the vet said her heart rate was so slow that her brain was being starved of oxygen, she was extremely unwell. We took the very sad decision to prevent any further suffering and stayed with her whilst she went to sleep. Our lives will never be the same, but we will never regret taking her home that day. Run free little girl
We adopted Alfie (aka Fred) in 2014, and sadly after 9 glorious years at nearly 15 years old have had to say goodbye.
When we collected him, as he was taken out of the kennel, he gave the girl a disapproving bark for putting him in there earlier, and then would not leave until the toy box had been completely emptied so he could have his chosen toy from the very bottom of the box. We knew then that we had a cheeky boy and he remained so throughout his life.
He had lived in two homes before coming to us and was very confused with what was happening to him. He was so terrified and shaking on the journey home we thought he would not make it through the night.
He was a little nervous in his new surroundings and very wary of men, but over time we were able to build his confidence socialising him with friends and trips to the office for a biscuit and a stroke with colleagues.
He loved to be on his boat having a trip on the river, then a run round the fields followed by a sausage from the BBQ.
He brought so much joy and love into our lives, we will treasure our memories of him always.
Just a few lines in memory of Polly who sadly died.
Polly and her Mum joined me in 2012 from Southern Ireland. They both loved the open Cheshire countryside and their long walks every day. They also enjoyed the beach on the south coast, running along the sand and swimming in the rock pools. When I relocated permanently to Hastings there was only Polly but she loved her swimming and the café on the beach, where they served dog sausages! If the café was open we had to go in! Polly was diagnosed with a tumour on her liver, but she carried on as normal. We went on holiday to Dorset but her lump burst on the journey and I had to say goodbye. The vet was very kind. They were both such lovely dogs, gentle and loving. They are both missed.
It is with a very saddened heart that I have to let you know of the passing of our beloved Ruby. We rescued Ruby on Bonfire night 2011. She was a very scared two year old, who over time we gained her trust and she loved us as much as we did her. She had 12 years of love happiness with all our family. Including her watching over our 5 grandchildren who also adored her. She had, we think, a stroke of some sort, we went straight to the vets for assessment and told to see how the weekend went. Sadly no change by Monday evening. So back to the vet for another look. The best advise taking in her age etc, was to let her go. We are all devastated, but relieved that she would no longer suffer at all.
We lost our beloved Bobby, when his condition rapidly deteriorated and we took him to our vet for the last time. We brought him home, and he is now buried in our garden, along with our previous Springer Paddy.
Bobby was probably between eleven and twelve, and for the last three years he had a diagnosed brain tumour, plus more recently a fatty mass on his right shoulder. Thankfully he remained active up until the end.
He died with us cuddling him and telling him he was (as always) our lovely boy.
We are still grieving, and slowly accepting the loss of the third person in our family. As you’ll know, there is no easy way to get through this; and because of our ages we won’t be looking for another dog. But what we will always have is the memory of two marvelous dogs, that you enabled us to rehome, and we are most grateful for that privilege.
We wish all of you at NWESSR all the very best for the future. I’m attaching a photo of Bobby that I think captures his spirit.
Oscar joined our family in March 2020. He was truly an amazing dog with such a big heart and a loving personality. He loved roaming the Fells in Cumbria when we went up to stay. Thursday mornings was his Gun dog training day and he used to get so excited fetching the dummies back to me and was always ready to find the next one. His tail never stopped wagging and he loved to give kisses. At 13 his kidneys finally gave up on him and he peacefully fell asleep. Always loved, Never forgotten.
We adopted Bo in 2013, very sadly he passed away after a sudden illness aged 10yrs. He was such a big part of out lives and we miss him greatly. He was a very active spaniel until quite late in his life, and although his joints had begun to suffer from his active lifestyle, we thought we still had a few years of life with him. It wasn’t to be and our house so seems so much larger and quieter without him.
We would like to adopt from you again but our loss is still far too fresh for us to be thinking of this immediately.
