Captain

Captain was born in January 2012 and came to us along with his companion Homer on the 20th October last year because their owner could no longer keep them. With them living together for 5 years in a flat we wanted to find them a nice home together with a garden where they could live out their twilight years. With lock down and one thing and another the right home never came along so they began to regard our home as their own. Sadly Captain passed away last week which deeply upset us all. Yes, he was the quieter of the two, but he was a happy, friendly lad who enjoyed the company of his soft toys, was very affectionate and loved being cuddled.
On the morning of Saturday 13th March he didn’t eat all his breakfast which was very unusual for him. As he ate his tea okay I put it down to given him something different and perhaps he wasn’t keen on it. He was fine on Sunday and enjoyed his walk. On Monday morning while he was eating his breakfast I complimented him on how nice and shiny his coat was and how well he looked.
Debi arrived just after lunch to take a couple for a walk with Elsie her greyhound. Captain was first in line with Thor a close second so off they went. After a while we received a call from Debi saying Captain had collapsed in the woods and wasn’t able to stand so off we went in the van to his nearest location and walked the fields to reach him. By this time Captain was up on his feet and walking very slowly towards us. We got him in the van and off to the vets where he was examined, bloods tested and painkillers given as he seemed in pain. His heart rate was faster than it should have been, but other than that the vet could find nothing so he came home. We were asked to keep a record of his heart rate and bring him in the morning for a scan, but to call them if we were worried. At home he took a long drink of water and went to lay on his bed. Both Thor and Homer went to smell his mouth and I think they knew he was poorly and the other dogs left us alone. Shortly after I didn’t like the way he was looking so we checked his heart rate, and again a few minutes later by which time we called the vets and was asked to take him in. Poor Captain looked so ill and couldn’t stand so Stuart and I carried him on his bed to the van and took him to the vets where he was put on a drip and operated under local anesthetic to remove a large amount of fluid/blood from around his heart. The operation went well and everyone was optimistic he would be coming home after his scan in the morning. Sadly, this was not the case. With all the fluid removed the scan showed heart disease at a point too far advanced to save him. Stuart and I while cuddling him said our goodbyes. We were gutted. It had all happened so fast - 18 hours earlier he seemed fit and well. I didn’t post anything earlier because his loss was too upsetting.
Captain you may be gone, but we’ll look after Homer for you and you will remain in our hearts forever. R.I.P.