10 days ago we lost our 9 1/2 year old greyhound Max to cancer. A week previously he developed a sudden swelling in one of his hind legs: a spontaneous haematoma. He was admitted to the vets. Things spiraled downhill fairly quickly & he ended up in intensive care at the Dick Vet Hospital – he never came home again. It was a haemangiosarcoma & there was nothing further they could do for him. Max went quietly & with dignity on the evening of Tuesday 15th November. Martin & I were with him at the end.
It’s hard to put into words how much Max meant to me. He changed my life for the better in so many ways & was there for me at a time in my life when nothing & no-one else could help. His life with me was short but filled to the brim with fun, comfort, adventure & most of all love, & his memory will live on forever in everything that I do. I’ve put together a short video capturing the three & a half wonderful years we spent together, to the music of Kate Rusby’s Old Man Time:
Thank you for everything Max. I will never forget…
- the way you howled when the phone rang
- the way you always thought it was time for dinner at 3pm, even though it was never served until 5
- the way you would race up to people on our walks then proceed to sit & give them a paw in the hope they might give you something
- the way you loved going to the vets because of all the attention & treats involved
- the way you sat in the front of the van with me because you were too grumpy to go in the back with the other dogs
- the way you loved to run, right up until the very end, & missing toes/torn muscles weren’t going to stop you
- the way your farts could clear a room of everyone but me
- the way you learnt to play aged 7 years & practiced it daily from then on
- the way you taught Molly how to behave (well, sort of!)
- the time you ate Martin’s Mum’s Christmas ornaments
- the way you changed so many people’s minds about greyhounds with your charm & cheekiness
- the way you always liked to lie by my side/at my feet wherever I was
- the time you jumped into that cattle grate
- the way you loved your food so much it made everyone suspicious you were a lab in disguise
- the way you kissed my nose
- the way you behaved yourself so well at our wedding
- the way you sounded like Darth Vader when you slept with your nose pushed up against the floor
- the way you loved to steal other dogs’ beds, no matter how comfy your own was
- the way you never tired of modelling my handmade stuff
- the way you would wait until I’d finished a cup of tea then lick the dregs out from the bottom
- the way you thrashed around on your back, often to the extent you fell off the sofa
- the way you always knew when I was upset & would come & extend your long neck for me to bury my face into
- the way you used to launch yourself into the water & only later remember you couldn’t really swim
- the way you used to call our bluff when it was time to get down off our bed for the night
- the time you ate that pigeon in the park
- the way you licked other dogs’ coats to try & dry them off when they’d been out in the rain
- the time we had to wrestle the Christmas turkey carcass off you
- the way you smelt all sweet & earthy
- the time you fell through the ice chasing swans in Manchester
- the way you loved that silly vibrating Mr Tickle toy that came free with laundry powder & that it was the only toy you didn’t completely destroy
- the way you stole bird food, especially the fat balls
- the way you frolicked in the snow like a puppy
- the way you would get cross with the other dogs if they were having more fun than you
- the way you automatically commanded the respect of all the dogs who have passed through our house over the years
- the way you ran in your sleep & made cute little puppy barking noises when you were dreaming
- the precious time that we spent together
Run free my beautiful boy.
