the end of an era
Unexpectedly and suddenly, Bamber, Chris' retired Guide Dog, declined. He'd yelped out on his walk on Sunday when he pooped. We thought at first he'd stood on a stone or had done something to his leg. He wanted to come back home. Apart from struggling a bit to walk, there was nothing obviously untoward. He needed help getting upstairs that night.
The following day he didn't want breakfast or anything to drink. He was panting. Chris rang Guide Dogs and we booked an emergency appointment at the vet. He was deteriorating rapidly. By the time we arrived at the vet's, Bamber just wanted to lie down. The nurse came out and had a look at him, then the vet. They managed to get him inside.
The vet came to speak to us. She had done an ultrasound and there was a massive growth on his spleen and blood in his stomach. We think that there had been a rupture on Sunday when he pooped. There was nothing to be done.
At 10:30, Chris and I were with Bamber. He tried to get up when he saw us but lay calmly as we stroked him and told him what a good boy he was. It was as if he knew and was OK with it. He was dignified right to the end.
We both sobbed. All the staff at the vet's were brilliant.
Chris and Bamber had a deep bond. Theirs was a partnership, a working relationship, a reliance, trust. Bamber wasn't just a pet, he was Chris' eyes.
I opened the front door last night for a delivery and sighed. Mentally I saw Bamber standing there with me, waiting to see who was on the other side of the door, and primed to run out to greet them, and grab a sneaky bit of woodchip. He loved eating wood and bringing it in the house.
I see him lying in his favourite spots. In his bed, on the rug in the lounge, in the kitchen. I step over him when I get up in the night to go to the loo.
I've heard him moving about in the night as he relocates between his preferred sleeping positions. I can hear his breathing.
He loved food. Because of a stomach condition, we were very strict about his intake. But he was a chancer. Food had to be out of his reach. He would hang about in the kitchen while we cooked in case a small morsel fell on the floor. He would sit watching me intently when I ate a piece of toast in the morning, shifting on his haunches so that he didn't miss a crumb.
Until his retirement, Bamber went everywhere with us. I didn't like leaving him at home for a few hours once he'd retired and we were going somewhere we couldn't take him. He stayed with dog sitters twice and I didn't like leaving him even though he had a great time.
He lived a legendary life. Known across the world by thousands, especially from the woodturning and maker community. He was filmed by Google, the BBC, countless other productions. He was loved and adored by so many.
He visited the House of Lords and Commons where the Speaker of the House fussed over him, he was known to several Lords and Baronesses and MPs. He was the star of the show wherever he went.
All Guide Dogs are special. They are carefully selected, then trained for 18 months. Some still don't make it. Bamber was borderline because he was such a gentle soul but he pulled it out of the bag. His pairing with Chris was perfect.
His leaving has left a huge hole for us both.