Jonathan Muir

For Buster

I’m running the 2026 Edinburgh Marathon in support of Dogs Trust!

We lost our beautiful Labrottie rescue Buster in late 2025 after a short, aggressive neurological illness. He had only just turned eight when out of nowhere he started experiencing increasingly severe seizures. Over a period of a couple of months we tried everything we could, but by December had exhausted all treatment options in the face of Buster’s mysteriously but rapidly deteriorating condition. It turns out our one-of-a-kind dog had a one-of-a-kind brain that mystified neurologists and vets right up until the end. 

Since we said goodbye to Buster there’s been a huge gap in our lives. Our entire lifestyle was built around him. We became the kind of people who get up early on a Saturday to hike in the countryside just because Buster was never happier than bounding around sniffing every square centimetre of the world. He was a constant presence in our day-to-day lives, a giddy, hyperactive puppy trapped in a middle-aged dog’s body, but also a soppy sweetheart of a pooch who just loved cosying up with his favourite people.

Honestly, I could (and one day probably will) write tens of thousands of words about Buster, his inimitable personality, the joy he brought to our lives, and all the ways he taught me to be a better person. And anyone who has ever welcomed a dog into their family and into their hearts will understand the cavernous absence they leave behind when they go. But for now I’ll just say that I miss that crazy goofball every day and I’m running this marathon in his memory. 

I’m raising money for Dogs Trust because it’s an incredible organisation that helped us so much when we got Buster. The training courses and 1-on-1 sessions offered by Dogs Trust equipped us with much-needed pooch management skills and helped us settle Buster into his new home and life. Every single person we encountered through Dogs Trust was kind, enthusiastic and generous with their time and expertise. And that support for owners is just a small part of what they do overall for dog welfare, rehoming and adoption. It’s an amazing organisation filled with amazing people. 

So, if you’re able, please spare whatever you can to support this amazing organisation and enable me to channel my grief into all-consuming marathon training.

I’m also completely crowdsourcing my running playlist via donors, so if you give something, no matter the amount, PLEASE PUT A SONG TITLE IN YOUR COMMENT and I’ll add it to my playlist!