#dogspam

She's been in my life almost as long as I've been on Tumblr. For anyone who's followed me a long time, you'll know she used to feature on this blog a lot before I started to hold back on posting more personal stuff.

Leia was stubborn, independent and definitely the boss in our house. She was the last of her litter to be homed and wailed all the way on the journey back to our house. It was probably too late to train the sass out of her by that point.

If it was dinner time, she'd let you know. If someone was approaching the house, she'd let you know before they even got to the gate. Even when our other dog, Bo grew much bigger than her, she was still the one in charge. If she were human, I always imagined her as some eccentric aristocrat who'd chase trespassers off her property with gun and then go back to eating and sleeping in her mansion all day.

But every day I'd come home from work she'd run to me for a cuddle. If you were upset, she'd know. Just her presence alone really helped my family through some tough times these past 12 years. We would take her to visit my Nana to cheer her up. And when my Nana passed away this summer she was there for us. She had had the softest fur and these big brown eyes that would comfort you through anything, and she always wanted to be with us.

Then yesterday, after being sick on and off for a little while, things took a turn for the worse. The vet said they could continue treating her, but all it would do is just prolong her life a few more days before the inevitable.

So goodbye, Leia-loo. And thank you. I'll miss you running into my room to tell me dinner's ready, I'll miss your obsession with big shopping bags and Christmas wrapping paper. I will miss having your weird, defiant little self around.

Safe travels to the big Sainsbury's bag in the sky ✨