I held his paw and slept by his side for 14 days in hospital. But it turned out, all the love in the world wasn’t enough to save him. Thus begins the final post on Life of Dozer.
My dearest Dozer,
You came into my life in my arms, holding you protectively. And after almost 14 years together, I held you in my arms protectively again as I said goodbye.
I was sobbing so hard, I forgot everything I wanted to say to you in our final moments together.
So I started writing this letter to you, to say all those things.
I wanted to reminisce about our wonderful times – the thousands of visits to the dog beach, all the wonderful food we sampled together, the cuddles, the neck-scratching-sessions, our road trips.
I wanted to thank you for spreading the joy that is you with readers all around the world, for happily coming along with me to meet readers at events, book signings, fund raisers, lunches, dinners, not to mention TV shows, photo shoots, and my gosh, we can’t forget our stint on Play School!
But as I sit here, typing away with tears streaming down my face, I realise that’s not what I want to say to you.
What I want to say is thank you.
Thank you for giving me your whole heart.
Thank you for giving me your unconditional loyalty.
Thank you for loving me just as I am, for all my flaws, for never caring what I weigh, what I wear, what I look like.
Thank you for always being there, my one constant through the good and bad times.
Thank you for making me smile, even on the hardest of days.
And thank you for trying so hard to stay with me as long as you could, fighting to heal until your very last day. I will never forget how deep you had to dig to find the strength for your rehab walk on our final morning together.
I know that one day, I will be able to look at photos of you again without sobbing. And I know all this pain I am feeling is because I loved you so fiercely and completely, and I wouldn’t trade it for a second I got to spend with you.
But right now, four days after saying goodbye, it feels like the heartbreak will never heal, like I will never smile again.
Rest in peace, my darling Dozer. I will never forget you, and I will never stop loving you.
Love,
Your mum xoxo
Thank you SASH
To the vets and nurses at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH),
Thank you for the extraordinary care, skill, and kindness you showed Dozer. Every moment, from the medical expertise to the gentle reassurance and cheering him on, meant more to me than I can say. Knowing he was in such capable, compassionate hands gave me comfort during the hardest days. I will always be deeply grateful for everything you did for my beautiful boy. – Nagi x
Oh no, Nagi. I just followed you on fb, only to see this post. We lost our incredible border collie mix Jimmy many years ago to complications of laryngeal paralysis. Dozer had a life most dogs can only dream of; he was a lucky boy to be your dog.
Condolences for the death of Dozer. The love of a pet is the purest love—- unconditional, nonjudgmental and constant. I have lost so many wonderful pets and each of them was special.
Read the poem The Rainbow Bridge and know that you will be reunited
DOZER’S LEGACY
Dearest Nagi
I’m late to the party – I’ve been in hospital. I feel so deeply your loss, as I too lost my darling Rogan Josh just six months ago. He was a dead ringer for Dozer…so similar!
Nagi, I wrote to you some time ago, wanting to make a donation to RecipeTin Meals, but you said you were not yet set up for it. Dozer made a lasting impression on us all and will not fade in our memories. He lives on!
Could he not live on through donations to the foodbank? Could this be Dozer’s legacy? I’m sure we could make it work.
With the warmest of love and hugs, Susanne
We all loved Dozer so much and have pets of our own, so we know how difficult it is to say goodbye and so we feel like we walked with you on the road to goodbye. Take your time to grieve,you will always miss him.xx
Dear Nagi, I have only now had the strength to read The Final Chapter: The Life Of Dozer because I knew I’d sob throughout. I was right and I’m still sobbing. Your words on Dozer’s last walk were particularly poignant. We vividly recall our beautiful girl’s last walk, just to please us. We had to carry her home. We too thought our love would enable her to live forever. We used to serenade her and implore her to live forever and be our one and only beautiful Golden Retriever. We’ve never thought of another so she remains our ‘one and only’.
Dear Nagi,
We know when we meet them that they will break our hearts one day – but we love them anyway.
Dozer will be missed. Hold onto the memories, You were the most amazing, loving Mum!
He was one lucky dog.
Hugs and condolences to you xxoo
That’s beautiful. They give us so much. I have never used the pain as an excuse to go solo, I’ve used it to free another one (doc cat, whatever,) not to replace the lost friend but to give another a fresh start.
Dear Nagi,
Bless you for giving a puppy the best life possible.
Now, regroup, and do it again.
It doesn’t get any easier, losing your best friend. But it’s what we do.
Timbo
Very sorry for your loss Nagi. He will always live in your heart and the beautiful memories that you had together. Very emotional letter dedicated for him, I was sobbing.. I feel like both of you are part of my family since I am on your website every single day. Sending you lots of love.. ❤️
Thank you for sharing.
Think of all the love we, Dozer’s fans, are sending your way. and it may help. We, too, will miss him greatly
My Heart goes out to you, I’m sorry for your loss of your baby Dozer. Such a Beautiful Dog <3
I’m so deeply sorry for your loss. Losing a dog isn’t just losing a pet — it’s losing a loyal friend and a constant presence in your life. Please know I’m thinking of you and holding space for your grief. We will miss you Dozer. x Nag
I’m sorry for your loss. To be honest I always clicked on the Dozer button FIRST, then went back to the recipe.
So Incredibly sad and sorry for your loss of your darling Dozer x
DOZER
D – Dedicated
O – One of a kind
Z – Zestful
E – Elemental
R – Reborn
All the best,
Bruce
Dearest Nagi,
I am so sorry to hear about Dozer. He had such a beautiful heart. I went to your website to look for a recipe today and ended up crying my eyes out. The photos you shared captured the love the two of you have for each other so well.
Take some time to heal….
My deepest condolences go to you in this incredibly difficult time.
As I read your final words to Dozer I had tears in my eyes as I remembered my last day with my beautiful boy Jack (black labrador). Never will you feel a love like it, the total unconditional LOVE.
Time does heal and the memories you will smile at in time. ❤
Nagi, my heart breaks for you. Losing a beloved best friend is absolutely gutting. Stories of Dozer brought joy to so many. My thoughts are with you.
I read your final words to Dozer and felt them in my heart. My thoughts are with you in this time of hardship. It will take time to move on… but eventually you do and then you only remember the good times.
Dear Nagi,
I am so sorry to hear about Dozer, my heart bleeds for you. There is no deeper pain than the loss of a beloved pet. Please take comfort in knowing that Dozer, once again, runs free across the Rainbow Bridge. You take care❤️