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
I have loved sharing your love of Dozer. His antics have warmed my life. God keep you in the palm of his hand as you grieve.
Dear Nagi, my heart goes out to you. Losing a loving pet is no different than losing a human family member. I know your sadness is heavy and you may wonder if you will ever be able to get to the other side of it. You will. And you will always carry the sweet memories of your beloved Dozer. I have lost many pets in my life and it never gets easier as each is loved individually for themself. Last year was the worst where I lost 3 kitties and 1 dog. Age and illness took them. But my wish for you, Nagi, is that you find comfort knowing he had the best life with you. That you have wonderful memories of your lives together. He was a handsome boy too! Many blessings and prayers. 🙏❣️🙏
So sorry Nagi, I have no idea what to say. We love you. Thinking of you.
So sorry for your loss Nagi. What a lovely life he had. X
Dear Nagi, I doubt you can possibly find the time to read all of these loving comments. Until a parent of a much loved pet goes through this it is impossible to fathom the depth of emotion and loss that this brings. We left town after we lost our treasured Locky and went to a nearby island for a few days just to get away from all of his favourite spots and to help us heal. It still hurts to see photos of him however it is getting easier. I hope you heal at your own pace and find solace in your cooking and memories. Love all that you do and we will really miss Dozer too. Love, Pauline x
Fly high beautiful Dozer. Sadly big dogs aren’t with us that long and we learn the hard way. You were a WONDERFUL boy an dI hope your Mum comes to peaceful acceptance the way I did when I lost my boy Mungo at 12. Love you always Dozer xxx
Dozer must have been extremely loved and cared for – i feel your grief having been there myself more than once.
What a beautiful tribute Nagi to a lovely dog.
Heartfelt sorrow for your devastating loss of your beloved Dozer, Nagi.
Grief is the greatest of all agonies.
I hope you can draw some comfort from knowing you gave him the very best life, and he gave you all his love and loyalty in return. What a perfect relationship …
All compassion and understanding.
I’m so sorry for your loss Nagi. I’ve loved reading your little stories with each recipe. So much love shines through this post, I can’t even describe. Rest in peace beautiful Dozer 🖤
So very sad for your loss.
Grief is a consequence of love.
Nagi as a fur momma myself I feel your loss of Dozer and am crying and grieving with you. It”s my opinion if God feels you worthy, He gives you the special companionship of an animal to show you His love. You may have several furry companions,but there is only one “special” one. You are blessed that Dozer was yours. My husband’s and mine was Sam. We had her for twelve wonderful years. Last November, my husband had a near death experience. He said Sam was waiting for him and they communicated without speaking. When he passed away in December, the last thing he said was he was finally going to get to play with Sam again. He said he was very happy. I know Dozer will be waiting for you, God knows you were worthy to have him in your life. Dozer’s mission was to help you through the trials you’ve endured. Well done my good and faithful servant Dozer.
Nagi, my heart is broken for you. I know how much we love our fur babies and how hard it is to say goodbye, when it is time for them to cross the rainbow bridge.
Sending you much love and hugs at this sad time.
Yes I cried too. My lab is 12 and I’m dreading the inevitable.
Dozer has left his paw prints on your heart forever Nagi. His love for you is never-ending just like your love for him. Cherish all the memories. xoxo
Dozer was the luckiest dog in the world….
Nagi, I am so sorry for your heartbreak. I am crying reading your message following dozer and you of course for years everyone loved him! Also having two fur babies of my own knowing the love they show up every moment of everyday. All I can really say is this is sh$t and I am sorry. ❤️❤️❤️
I am so very sorry for your loss.
Dozer was loved all over the world. He had the best mum that could be. Thank you for sharing him with us.
Thank you for sharing Dozer with us, he was a beautiful soul. Some furry members of our family are so special and never leave our hearts. Thinking of you Nagi xx
Nagi, I’m just so sorry. In September, we lost our boy a few weeks before his 15th birthday. I know how profound the grief is. The pain is a physical ache as if your heart is literally breaking. They are family, and when we say a final goodbye to family it hurts so much.
I hope it’s of some comfort to know that you gave Dozer the very best life he ever could have dreamed of. He knew how deeply he was loved by you and he loved you right back.
Thinking of you and sending hugs x
So very sad for your loss, Nagi…. I have loved this journey you and Dozer have shared with us… I loved how much you two meant to each other….