View attachment 40945
This is a pic of bess when she was " bridesmaid " at her owners wedding three years ago. She has been terry`s (our friend) faithfull and very loyal friend since he adopted her when she was approximately 4 yrs old, and for the last 12 years wherever you saw terry you saw bessie and vice versa. Many many times bessie has "slept over at our house if terry had to go somewhere or just because she wanted to, she would often just walk into our kitchen ( she lived next door) just to say hello and then help herself to the perminant supply of puppy treats we kept just for her, ( at this point we didnt have saffi our year old lab) She would often veer into the pub on the quayside on her daily walk not because terry was a drinker but because there was always a treat or snack given to her by the landlord or the locals who all loved bessie, she had everyone wrapped around her little finger.
About two years ago bessie and terry and his new wife sailed to france to live on their boat but unfortunately just before christmas terry`s marriage ended so he came home again to once again be with his friends and family. He had given up his home here so until further arrangements were made he was living on his boat quite happily with bessie who was now 16 yrs old, Still a lady but now an old lady and was introduced to our saffi who at a year old tried to boss bessie but she was having none of it and soon put saffi in his place and reminded him that this was her place first and she was the boss.
On wednesday afternoon bessie had fallen asleep in the yacht yard under a transit van. The guy that owned the van didnt see her and as he started the engine bessie would normally have scarpered but due to the arthritis couldn`t move quick enough and the guy not realising bessie was there ran over her..
Terry ran to her and tried to comfort her but she snarled and snapped at him obviously in pain/shock and panic and caused damage to his lip chin and fingers which required several stitches but this was not bessies fault , she was scared , terry cradled her in his arms and she was rushed to the vets who sedated her and sent for an orthopeadic surgeon, terry would not leave her but eventually the vet insisted terry saught treatment for his injuries .
Bessie remained very poorly and under sedation untill the surgeon could decide what to do......... the xrays showed her back leg was broken in two places and both her pelvic bones were totally broken .
After much discussion it was decided that surgery was pointless..if bessie had been younger maybe it would be different but if they operated she would need to be able to stand to aid recovery but because of the arthritis in her front legs it meant her recovery would be long and slow because she could not stand, ulcers could form and infection was or could be a major problem and ultimately it would mean she would die before she ever recovered from surgery, also incontinence problems (which to bessie was the ultimate degradation bless her heart)
At this point Terry had to make the awful choice of signing for her to be put to sleep or risk her having a slow and lingering death just so he could have her for a while lomger.
There was no real choice for him, he knew what he had to do and this poor man rang my partner today and asked if he would be with him. This 6ft tall/ broad big man just cried and wept so hard. When the time came my partner was with him , he said it was heartbreaking watching as terry kept asking for a few more minutes , and then ended up crumpled in a heap with bessie in his arms, even the vet was tearfull as bessie finally closed her eyes for the last time.
Bessie was a beautiiful loyal faithful and extremely clever border collie who was loved by all who met her. She was smart , she was just a lovely lady and i shall miss her dearly......
So give all your dogs an extra hug of love tonight, hold them close, cos like terry said .....he knew bessie probably didnt have many years ahead of her , she was old, she was athritic and she had started to have eye problems but he feels robbed of the time he thought he had left with her.
It was a terrible tragic accident , the van driver is absolutely in pieces, no one is at fault here,
Im not sure why i have written all this down , i guess its a kind of therapy thing for me so bless anyone that managed to get this far and GOD bless bessie my lovable lady friend ,
This is a pic of bess when she was " bridesmaid " at her owners wedding three years ago. She has been terry`s (our friend) faithfull and very loyal friend since he adopted her when she was approximately 4 yrs old, and for the last 12 years wherever you saw terry you saw bessie and vice versa. Many many times bessie has "slept over at our house if terry had to go somewhere or just because she wanted to, she would often just walk into our kitchen ( she lived next door) just to say hello and then help herself to the perminant supply of puppy treats we kept just for her, ( at this point we didnt have saffi our year old lab) She would often veer into the pub on the quayside on her daily walk not because terry was a drinker but because there was always a treat or snack given to her by the landlord or the locals who all loved bessie, she had everyone wrapped around her little finger.
About two years ago bessie and terry and his new wife sailed to france to live on their boat but unfortunately just before christmas terry`s marriage ended so he came home again to once again be with his friends and family. He had given up his home here so until further arrangements were made he was living on his boat quite happily with bessie who was now 16 yrs old, Still a lady but now an old lady and was introduced to our saffi who at a year old tried to boss bessie but she was having none of it and soon put saffi in his place and reminded him that this was her place first and she was the boss.
On wednesday afternoon bessie had fallen asleep in the yacht yard under a transit van. The guy that owned the van didnt see her and as he started the engine bessie would normally have scarpered but due to the arthritis couldn`t move quick enough and the guy not realising bessie was there ran over her..
Terry ran to her and tried to comfort her but she snarled and snapped at him obviously in pain/shock and panic and caused damage to his lip chin and fingers which required several stitches but this was not bessies fault , she was scared , terry cradled her in his arms and she was rushed to the vets who sedated her and sent for an orthopeadic surgeon, terry would not leave her but eventually the vet insisted terry saught treatment for his injuries .
Bessie remained very poorly and under sedation untill the surgeon could decide what to do......... the xrays showed her back leg was broken in two places and both her pelvic bones were totally broken .
After much discussion it was decided that surgery was pointless..if bessie had been younger maybe it would be different but if they operated she would need to be able to stand to aid recovery but because of the arthritis in her front legs it meant her recovery would be long and slow because she could not stand, ulcers could form and infection was or could be a major problem and ultimately it would mean she would die before she ever recovered from surgery, also incontinence problems (which to bessie was the ultimate degradation bless her heart)
At this point Terry had to make the awful choice of signing for her to be put to sleep or risk her having a slow and lingering death just so he could have her for a while lomger.
There was no real choice for him, he knew what he had to do and this poor man rang my partner today and asked if he would be with him. This 6ft tall/ broad big man just cried and wept so hard. When the time came my partner was with him , he said it was heartbreaking watching as terry kept asking for a few more minutes , and then ended up crumpled in a heap with bessie in his arms, even the vet was tearfull as bessie finally closed her eyes for the last time.
Bessie was a beautiiful loyal faithful and extremely clever border collie who was loved by all who met her. She was smart , she was just a lovely lady and i shall miss her dearly......
So give all your dogs an extra hug of love tonight, hold them close, cos like terry said .....he knew bessie probably didnt have many years ahead of her , she was old, she was athritic and she had started to have eye problems but he feels robbed of the time he thought he had left with her.
It was a terrible tragic accident , the van driver is absolutely in pieces, no one is at fault here,
Im not sure why i have written all this down , i guess its a kind of therapy thing for me so bless anyone that managed to get this far and GOD bless bessie my lovable lady friend ,
