Dazzle James

GOODBYE TO LOVELY DAZZLE

Waiting at the Bridge, Di and Alan have had to say “goodbye” to their lovely Dazzle. He passed away peacefully on  Friday, 23rd September 2016 with his heartbroken humans by his side. The vet had tried all the options for him but Dazzle had continued to go downhill to the point he no longer recognised them most of the time, he needed assistance to walk and even needed encouragement to eat..

On Thursday he seemed to rally a little, his mobility was a bit better and he allowed Di to cuddle him. He also remembered and was pleased to see Hayley when she called round for a while to say her farewell to him.  

He was so perky, Di actually started to doubt whether they had made the right decision but it proved to be simply his last big effort to say his own “goodbyes” as, on Friday morning, Dazzle could barely walk at all.  He went into the garden and just collapsed down on the path then he whimpered because he couldn’t get up.  Alan gave his ‘back end’ a wash then he flopped down again just outside the kitchen door. He looked a very tired and unhappy dog.  It was definitely his time.

Di and Alan are extremely sad but, in some ways, it is a relief not having to watch their beautiful boy going downhill and trying to decide on the best time to let him go. We believe they got it absolutely right for him.

Everyone remembers a year ago when he had been the life and soul of the party at one of his friend Gizmo’s Dog Meets. He was adored by all the people and he was very friendly with all dogs present. For his size, he was very gentle when he played with the puppies.That was the real Dazzle who we will all remember fondly.

RE-UNITED AGAIN ON 15.4.2017

Di remembers “Just before Easter 2007, we said “goodbye” to our lovely Goldie girl. The house fell silent and the hoover became semi redundant.

“No more dogs” we promised ourselves but that sentiment soon changed and it wasn’t long before an application to adopt was soon winging its way to IRR.

After a successful homecheck, we were told that Penny might be the girlie for us but there was a slight catch! Pauline, in Bath, was fostering Penny and another stray called Dazzle and she wanted them rehomed as a pair. This was not part of our original plan but we paid a preliminary visit to meet them both and it was pretty much love at first sight.

One week later, on a beautiful warm sunny Saturday in July, we collected them from Pauline and brought them home. They spent the afternoon playing in the garden. We thought they would be exhausted and would sleep all night. Wrong!

Next morning, chaos in the kitchen. The shattered remains of a crystal fruit bowl on the floor. A loaf of bread devoured!  Amazingly, no cuts or injuries!

One week later, the floods hit the county. The back garden turned into a swamp. Mud glorious mud. Doggie heaven!

Only a couple of days later, I returned home to find the foam stuffing from the seat of a cane sofa has been systematically disembowelled! The perpetrators watched intently with their innocent ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ expression as I started the clean up operation.

This set a pattern of mild destruction for the next month or so. We learnt many things about our new companions:-

That Penny was the ring leader and the brains behind the operation.

That they operated as a team. If something was not at floor level, Dazzle used his height to counter surf and remove it.

That anything edible got eaten.

That anything not edible got eaten (or chewed up).

Everything that wasn’t bolted or glued down had to be removed to a safe place where prying paws couldn’t reach!

A few weeks later, after another joint assault on the sofa, it was finally consigned to that great sofa bed in the sky! Their loss!

But this was all part of the settling in process and, eventually, they became calmer and less destructive when they realised this was their forever home. They played with each other constantly. They played with our grandchildren and our son’s 2 Beagles. They enjoyed a week by the sea in Devon and, of course, they went with us to the IRR Reunions.

Happy bouncy boy Dazzle simply loved everyone. He was a gentle cuddle monster without a bad bone in his body.  Penny was less enamoured of humans until later in life but she did love her ball, it provided her with years of pleasure. When she was younger, she made a habit of sitting on Dazzle – not that he minded.

But, inevitably, things changed, age slowed them down and they no longer played with each other so much.

Dazzle developed dementia and over a period of 4 months, gradually lost all memory and recognition. The time came to say “goodbye”.

Then just over 6 months later, in a cruel twist of fate and due to a sudden fatal illness, Penny joined him at the Bridge. It was a huge, unexpected shock.

And now the house is silent again and the hoover is once more semi redundant. There are no more smiling faces and waggy tails to greet us every day.

Penny and Dazzle have left a gaping hole in our lives that can never be filled. They will never be forgotten and our many photos, videos and memories will always remind us of 2 very special dogs who came into our lives nearly 10 years ago. We miss them beyond belief but if there is a consolation, they are together at the Bridge, reunited partners in crime never to be parted again.

Thank you to our friends who have sent such kind messages of support and a special thank you to Wendy for arranging the 2 lovely Remembrance Candles and to Pauline for her very thoughtful and kind gift of an elephant photo frame.

And finally thank you IRR for allowing us to adopt them”.

Pauline said “The thanks must go to Di and Alan for persevering and giving those two reprobates such a wonderful, happy home.

Everybody loved Penny and Dazzle. They were an important part of our West Country gang together with Danny, Ricky, Eddie, Sammy, Stella, Ricky 3 Legs, Digby and Lucy, now, sadly, all reunited at the Bridge. Huge heartache for us but what wonderful happy memories we all have”.

THE LAST BATTLE

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this — the last battle — can’t be won.

You will be sad I understand,
But don’t let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn’t want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they’ll tend.

Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.

Don’t grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We’ve been so close — we two — these years,
Don’t let your heart hold any tears.

Unknown

HISTORY

DAZZLE is a lovely boy. He was a stray who was never claimed. His collar had to be cut off him with wire cutters as it was so tight.

He is possibly a Samoyed/Lab Cross and was about 18 months old when taken into IRR care from the Pound. He has a fab nature and enjoys the company of other dogs and humans alike. .

Dazzle was fostered with Pauline and Steve in Somerset where he met his girlfriend and partner in crime, Penny.

It came as no surprise to Pauline when Dazzle went off happily to live in Gloucestershire with his very best friend, Penny.

UPDATE FROM THEIR FOREVER MUM

They have both settled in well and have had a fair number of visitors. Everyone is regarded as their friend, they just love people and everyone loves them. Albert (beagle) had a wonderful time with them, we were all just ignored, they were too busy playing.

The plan to buy a doggy paddling pool (so when the weather is nice they can splash around to their hearts content) was somewhat scuppered when the rains came and there is now water all aound. Talking of which, Pen does still like to extract water from the drinking bowl using her paw which of course gives the kitchen floor an unplanned wash! It’s very kind of her to help with the cleaning, ha, ha!

Having said there had been no more damage, although I was not out long, I returned home to find the inner stuffing of the sofa seat all over the kitchen floor. I think we can safely say – that’s had it! Daz looked suitably remorseful – Penny didn’t!! In the grand scheme of things, I am not at all concerned, it’s only a sofa, not worth getting upset about. They haven’t damaged anything else so why worry. Thought they would have slept after all the running around they’ve been doing in the garden today! Otherwise they are both fine.