Recently we made the difficult decision to let long termer Oscar go to sleep after a lengthy battle with old age and arthritis. At 11 years old Oscar had spent the majority of his life with us having initially come into our care in 2010. He was rehomed but unfortunately returned in early 2013 and once again became a firm favourite among the Staff and Volunteers.

The big lad was known for giving off at passer-bys, dogs and humans alike, or pottering about carrying a soft toy. He loved to lounge around on a big, plush cushion, take an old man’s doze on the sofa or just chill out on the grass. He never said no to his grub and was partial to a bit of bin hoking or attempting to shove his whole head into your pockets to make sure you weren’t hiding any treats from him. He enjoyed some gentle agility when he felt the urge on Dogs Day Out and when the sun made an appearance he loved nothing more than a cool dip in the paddling pool…the bigger, the better!

In recent years, especially since the start of Dogs Day Out, the thing that Oscar enjoyed the most was being in our Van and as his arthritis worsened, his love of walks lessened and at times we just drove him up the road to a grassy patch and drove him home again or walked laps around the van to keep him moving. Even if he wasn’t going anywhere, just the opportunity to jump inside made his eyes light up. Oscar made his final journey in the van and we know you will all be with us as we think back on our years of memories with him. Oscar, you will always be remembered…running free…over the Rainbow Bridge.