When you have a pet for 15 years, they are not just part of your home or family, they have part of your heart.  

What became quickly apparent from when she was a puppy was that Molly had attitude, a sense of herself. She was not easy going. No pushover. Because of this seemingly haughty air, she would be called Princess Molly.

When she would lie down she would invariably ‘cross her paws’, this added to her dignified persona.

When you weren’t feeding her when she wanted you to or weren’t walking her when she wanted to or engaged in some other misdemeanour, you would get her ‘hard’ stare. This would leave you under no illusion that you had misstepped and should lift your game. And, now!

She always loved the beach. When she was young she would chase a ball relentlessly. She loved to have a swim, especially if it involved chasing the ball! But she hated being dried. As a double coated dog, this was an issue. With aforementioned manner, she made it clear that no hair dryer would be tolerated! So, she was dried using a towel. Not particularly effective. It made for plenty of washing over the years! She still swam as she aged and her arthritis became worse, so that it became self-directed hydrotherapy.

As an old dog, she may rarely have been frisky, but she made her presence felt. She would come up to people she didn’t know and turn on the charm, winning them over. Or wandering up to someone in the family, ears back, tail wagging, accompanied by a guttural ‘mmmm’. Warmth, love and happiness on four legs. Precious.

For all this and so much more, thank you Molly xo