A few days ago, my family and I lost our gorgeous Basset Hound called Oscar. He was reaching an impressive 15 years old. Oscar came into our family at a time when we all needed something to smile about. My parents were getting divorced and everybody was on an emotional rollercoaster. It was an incredibly tough time for everyone in their own way, but Oscar’s arrival was the thing that seemed to make things that little bit lighter for everyone. Especially for my dad; Oscar was like his right-hand man. You always hear that dogs have one master and looking back, this was exactly the case with Oscar and my dad. You also always hear that pets are like a great medicine and Oscar has certainly been that to me over the past year.

From the very beginning Oscar was a determined little thing who always knew what he wanted. Oscar actually chose his own name. We wrote a few names on pieces of paper, put them down on the floor and he walked towards ‘Oscar’ so it was decided. His defining feature was always his ears but he had to learn to grow into them which took a little time. He used to trip up on them and get upset when they would go in his food bowl…at times he wouldn’t eat unless dad held his ears up or gathered them on top of his head with a scrunchie!

Oscar always used to make us laugh especially around food or anything that might resemble food. I can’t begin to count the number of times he would dart off into the garden with clothes or shoes or attempt to eat slippers. He was obsessed with a pair of Winnie the Pooh slipper’s I once had. Suffice to say, they didn’t last long! One of my favourite memories of Oscar was when he sat quietly in the kitchen watching my sister make a salt-beef sandwich and the second she turned her back he leaped to the table, grabbed the sandwich and darted outside to eat it! He once did the same with a challah that we were about to bless at the Friday night table! I’m sure that Oscar got up to all of these tricks because he knew that his family needed laughter and happiness when he arrived and he was the one to bring it.

Over the years, Oscar also developed some more quirky traits. He would sit and watch at the window when my dad would go out and wait until he came back before he moved. He was also absolutely terrified of the dustpan and brush! I used love walking Oscar most days until one day he just decided that he wouldn’t go not go with me on my own. And he stuck with this for a very long time! For those of you who knew Oscar or any basset, when they don’t want to walk, there is NO chance that you can get them to!

We later found out that his collar had caused a painful rash under his neck that would get worse when on the lead and we think that he had probably associated it with me (the person who would walk him lots). From then on, he would only walk on his own with my dad, otherwise you had to be in a pair for him to agree to go. If you wanted to walk him on your own, you had to wait the right amount of time (usually at least an hour) after my dad left the house before taking him. We know these details because we spent a lot of time testing out these various hypotheses! And if you managed to get him out on your own and to the end of the road but at the time my dad happened to come back, Oscar would go no further. I thought I would share the video below to show Oscar’s walking antics!

I used to love my walks with just Oscar. I would chat to him along the way (as I often do with anyone!) so if anybody ever noticed a young lady walking through Mill Hill and talking to her dog, it was probably me!

About two years ago, Oscar had high risk emergency surgery at what was considered an old age for a dog. His stomach and spleen had twisted and we were told that had we not got him to the vet in that hour, he would have died from it. He made it through the surgery and made a great recovery because he was a fighter. Medivet even made him their ‘Braveheart of the Month’ because of how amazing he did.

More recently in his old age Oscar developed lots of different health problems, especially with his joints but with each bump in the road he fought through and kept going. Since having cancer, I would joke that Oscar and I were very similar because we both had bad joint pain and difficulty sleeping!

Around the time I was diagnosed last year Oscar seemed to be doing ok, regardless of all the little issues he had. I like to think that he knew I was sick and needed him around. Having spent so much of the last year at home I got to be with him most days. He was less able to go for walks because of his health and so we kept each other company at home. Whenever he saw me sitting outside or resting on the sofa, he would come and sit by me. When I looked into his gorgeous droopy eyes it was as if he was reassuring me and encouraging me to keep fighting, just like he was doing. Even in his old age, he continued to bring laughter into our house because it’s like he knew that laughter was the best medicine.

Even a few months ago when Oscar became quite poorly and we were concerned that we may have to say goodbye to him, he once again he fought back. I like to think that this was because he wasn’t yet confident enough that I was in a place that he would be comfortable to leave me. So instead he waited until I was over halfway through my Avastin treatment, had dealt with a couple of bumps in the road along my cancer journey and become a lot stronger physically and mentally before he chose to leave us.

Last week, we had a family wedding outside of London and so booked him into the kennels for a few days. Each time we called to check up on him, the staff let us know that he was doing great, he was really happy and playing with all the other dogs. I remember hearing this while I had my Avastin last week and it made me smile because for a while now, Oscar wasn’t able to go out for walks so rarely saw other dogs. On Thursday night while we were at the wedding, the kennel staff rushed him to the vet as he had started to struggle to breath. He’d had a heart attack and deteriorated really quickly. It meant that the vet had to make the decision to put him down because there was a concern that he would have another attack in the next few hours. This is the part that has been most devastating for me because we were not able to be there to hold and comfort him.

Over recent months, I’ve tried to mentally start to prepare myself for the fact that Oscar was nearing the end of his life. At times, I’ve found it really quite hard because since my cancer journey started I have been much more aware of life, loss and mortality and so the thought of not having Oscar has been really difficult. I guess I always took some comfort from the thought that however it happened, I would get to be by his side when he finally passed.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few days about how it happened. Those of us that knew and loved him have been talking a lot about him and his loving and very stubborn character. I can’t help but think that perhaps he would have never wanted us to see him go which is why it happened when it did. I’m grateful to the vet who looked after Oscar and made sure he wasn’t in pain, and also to the staff at the kennels who looked after him for a couple days before he passed away because it was as though he had a little holiday with other dogs before he died.

To my gorgeous Oscar, thank you for bouncing into our lives all those years ago. When my dad picked you out from all the other puppies he said it was because he really felt that you were the one for us. You must have also felt that we were the ones for you because you made it clear to him that you wanted to be picked! You brought light into our lives just when we really needed it. You went through the hardest part of my life with me last year. I’m so thankful that you were by my side through treatment, I am and grateful that you chose to let go only once I was in a better place. Over the last year, you have comforted me, made me laugh, made me smile and pushed me forward at times when it all felt too much. Together we battled our various health problems!

Thank you for being part of my team in my fight against ‘Cyril.’ You are still very much part of my team but just in different way. Your role is now to help me laugh and smile when I think of our 15 years together, and to watch over me as I continue on my journey while you have a much-needed rest. I promise you that I will keep going and keep doing well because I know that you will be looking down on me to check that I am doing just that. When there are bumps in the road I’ll fight through them just like you did.

I love you Oscar. You will always be in my heart.