In Memory of Dex, and all my boys ❤️
My dogs have always meant the world to me, and after losing Dex very suddenly without warning, I've struggled to find a way to cope with the grief.
So I've decided to take part in WOOF - a Dogs Trust event; Walking for Our Old Friends. The aim is to raise money for dogs in need.
The Dogs Trust give stray and abandoned dogs a second chance at a brighter future with responsible, caring new owners. With our help, Dogs Trust can continue helping more dogs in need.
The work of Dogs Trust is only possible with support like yours, if you’re able to make a small contribution, we know they’d be extremely grateful – and so would the dogs!
Thank you.
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We did it!
Monday is the big day!
It's a mixed forecast for the day, but I've got a nice warm fleece embroidered with Dex's smiling face, and new socks that are covered in his goofy smile! We're taking one of his 'babbas' with us (which is a dolphin who needed a bath before the big day). In spirit, we know Dexy will be there with us.
As for the timings on the day... What a logistical adventure! We're aiming to start walking around 8am so we have good daylight. That means we should finish around 2pm (allowing for stopping for lunch). But here's where it gets a bit eye-watering:
- 4am wake-up
- 4:30 set off for Morpeth
- 5:30 charge the car
- 6:30 set off for Kielder meeting point (car park at the finish)
- 7:30 pick-up Rob from car park and drive the route
- 8am WALK!
Then, when we reach the end point, we'll hop into Rob's car, drive back to the starting point, and collect my car. Phew!
All in all, it's going to be a long day, but I'm looking forward to it. Snacks and socks at the ready.
I'll try to snap some photos and share them with you all :)
Thank you to all those who've donated so far. It really does mean a lot to me to have so much support on this.
xx Amy
We hit our target!
This week, our training hit the 9.5 mile mark - only another 2.5 miles to train on! Granted, one of us struggled a lot more with the hill climbing, but we're getting there!Today we also loaded the offline sponsorships we've received so far, and we hit the £275 mark!
We just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who's donated so far! Your kind donations are what is making all the training worth it!
Stay tuned for confirmation on our date of the WOOF.
The Tail With No Ending
Dex had what's known as "happy tail", where the end of the tail is injured (often because they can't help themselves from wagging as hard as possible), and because of the wagging, it sometimes struggles to heal. Dex had half his tail amputated at first, but even when he was crying in pain, he kept on wagging, and his poor tail just couldn't get any better.
A lot of anaesthesia and the other half a tail later, Dex became known as "Stumpy". Perhaps that sounds a little mean, but he twerked and twerked that back end of his, and his stump would stand up any time he was excited or agitated, and honestly, a goofy name like that fit the big-eared goof that he was.
Sometimes, people saw Dex and assumed he was a Rottweiler or some other "aggressive" breed. Sure, having a docked tail didn't help that assumption, nor did his need for a 'nervous' collar for a great many years, but *we* knew better. *We* knew Dex for the gentle giant and loveable oaf he was. Was he clumsy? Yup. Was he a bit nutty? Absolutely. But was he aggressive? Never.
Dex had what I can only assume was the loudest bark in the world (or it sure seemed like it in a small space) if he wanted to warn someone off, but he loved - and I mean LOVED - nothing more than playing on the beach or in filthy water or with little dogs. He found complete and utter joy in chasing a stick that would get progressively smaller every time he fetched it back. He'd run up and down the smallest patch of grass if it meant playing with a ball or a squeaky toy or, well, anything you'd throw for him, really.
He loved rolling over onto his back and getting a good belly rub. Possibly even more when he knew that wasn't your actual intention, but you'd do it anyway.
He loved having people come to visit and bringing them a slipper, or a trainer, or a cuddly, or anything not tied down. There's a sheep toy in the living room that's been introduced to more visitors than even I have.
I suppose, in essence, Dex loved life. He loved the simplest of things, and he was so easy to please. He never ever let his lack of a tail hide that joy. He'd stand there with a babba in his mouth and that stump would wiggle away to itself.
It's these little memories I have of him that I treasure, because they were the smallest of things Dex did that made him so... Dexy. I hope that it's the silliest and simplest memories that stick with me the longest, because that's what keeps someone alive. The memories, the smiles, and the fondness.
Dex's tail may have had no ending, and I'll do my very best for the rest of my days to make sure that his tale has no ending, either.
