Our old friend Laddie is gone.

My dear old friend Laddie died. I have a big aching hole where he used to be. He was getting on when he came to us, and we were told we'd probably have him for a year or two. Happily it was a lot longer than that. He was big for a Collie, but as gentle as any dog I have ever known. Totally laid back, he was always so pleased to see his friends, both canine and human. And the greetings we used to get were second to none. Laddie knew how to make his feelings known.

As long as we've known him he's had two problems; his digestive system and his joints. When he first came to live with us stomach upsets were frequent events. As we got to know his dietary needs better these decreased. He did have a couple of major problems even so. The first was a very bad attack of colitis which laid him so low we thought we'd lost him. But he survived, although he never regained his former energy after it. Later another stomach problem defeated all the vet's diagnostic tools, but once again he came through, having frightened us to death first.

But his joint problems got gradually worse, and from being an active dog who loved his walk in the country he became a dog who liked to go out and sit in the sun and meet his mates. Arthritic joints and collapsed ligaments in his feet made walking a trial for him, despite all the anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers we could pump into him. None the less he retained his good nature, his love of socialising, and his desire to play (even if mostly from lying on the sofa) right to the end. And even on a day when his joints were playing him up, he never lost the desire to show off to a bitch in season. His amazing nose could detect female hormones from a few hundred yards, and he'd set off at speed. Lately he could not keep the chase up long, and I knew the end was getting near when I spotted one of his lady friends that I knew to be in season, some distance off. Laddie's nose went into overdrive, but he didn't even haul himself to his feet. He knew it was hopeless.

Last week another stomach issue laid him very low, and he had to see the vet late on Sunday night. But he recovered and was pretty perky by Wednesday or Thursday this week. However yesterday he was clearly having trouble getting about, and this morning he could not haul himself to his feet. I managed to get him into the car and to his favourite walking spot, but the best he could do was crawl a few yards on his stomach using his front legs. A friend helped me get him back into the car, and shortly after a large group of his friends came by. He was as usual pleased to see them, but he could not get up. He received sniffing from the dogs and stroking from the people and seemed happy enough to lay there for that. Then we took him straight to the vet. His life ended with his family round him, assured of our love and appreciation.