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
Dozer opened so many hearts wherever he went. Thank you for sharing him with us, your loving bond was extraordinary. sending prayers for your very highest good and for his. I believe you will meet him again.
Oh Nagi I am so so sorry for your loss of the lovable Dozer. He absolutely knew how much you loved him and gave him a beautiful life. He will never truly leave you, he will be forever sitting and walking by your side, watching over you, his love for you unwavering.
I am thinking of you, and as you thanked Dozer for his life with you, I would like to thank you for sharing Dozer with all of us 🤍
Nagi, I’m so very sorry to hear of the loss of our sweet boy, Dozer. The world fell in love with him thanks to you! He was loved and adored by many. Thank you for sharing him with us. Thank you for being such a tremendous loving human and mommy to him. He certainly was lucky to have you as him mommy and for all the great taste tests alongside of you.
Keep going, don’t stop. He’s always with you ❤️💞💔
I am so sorry for your loss.
So so sorry Nagi, my heart goes out to you.🥹🥰
My deepest condolences. I am sorry about Dozer passing. He was a truly loved little one.
I am so sorry to hear this Nagi. Big hugs and condolences from NZ
Heartbreaking. I know how it feels. A real life-longl companion dog who passes is a huge loss and the hole of their faithfulness never heals, although an afterglow does emerge when your energy of grief ebbs. Prayers for Peace.
You are a beautiful human being Nagi. Thank you for your compassion and generous spirit. Dozer will always have a place/plate at your table.
Sending you warmth and cuddles from Aotearoa, New Zealand. I look forward to tasting your food.
Tears accompany my reading your words which reflect so closely the remembered pain of the loss my of 14-year-old Retriever. I feel for you in your deep loss and hope the words of love care from so many people with whom you shared your love and life with Dozer will offer you a little comfort as you grieve.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your precious Dozer. It’s heartbreaking to have to say goodbye. Rest in peace, sweet boy.
Dear Nagi, Sooo Sorry to hear of Dozer’s passing. No one could love a pet any more than you loved Dozer. You will always have the beautiful memories that the two of you shared in your heart. Sending you Love, Light, Healing and Big Hugs.
i am so sorry for your loss. i feel like i also lost a friend as i have come to know him. sending hugs to you from New Jersey
I’m so very sorry to read of your loss.
Condolences, Nagi.
Rest in peace, Dozer.
Oh Nagi, I’m so sorry to hear that you have lost Dozer. It is the worst feeling, and in my case at least, I find it much harder to lose a furry soulmate than I do to lose a human. As you said, it’s impossible for us to say the things that we want to say when they are leaving, even though they are astute and will understand exactly what we’re trying to say, and their eyes tell us that they are saying exactly the same thing. I still cry as I remember furry soulmates that I have lost over the years, but I’m so grateful to have had them as friends, and I know that they loved me unconditionally. I will continue to have pets, knowing that they have very short lifespans, so it is inevitable that I will cry again and again as I lose them but at least I will give them the best life possible. I also know that they will want me to take good care of new friends to ease the loneliness that I now feel having lost them. Dogs are too good for us, but many people don’t realise how precious they are. We are so lucky to have experienced the unconditional love of our dogs. Dozer was so lucky to have had you, and he knew it. Now I am crying too.
My heart goes out to you and all the those who understand the loss of your beloved Dozer..
He brought joy & lots of laughter to
All of us who follow you..
He will always be remembered forever by your side.. & by all who followed you …
Nagi,
Over the years you have been an essential part of our family, always asking “what’s for dinner ? What would Nagi do?”
Such a beautiful bond you had with Dozer. We all related to him as we also experience that with our 2 dogs. They are “the Star Boarders, #1 in priority” in our family. Their unconditional love and joy is so valued. Our thoughts are with you as we share your heart break. The memories of your life with Dozer will be there forever.
Reading this post brought me to tears. I am so sorry for your loss. With you sharing him with your readers, he was loved by so many. Coming to find a recipe and seeing a Dozer update always brought some joy to the day. He will be missed. <3
Dearest Dozer, you’ll be missed by everyone around the world whose lives you touched.
Dearest Nagi, sending love to your hurting heart.
Dear Nagi,
My heart goes out to you with the loss of your best friend Dozer. Memories will stay with you so keep strong.🥰