24/03/2025
Another sad goodbye 🌈 🐾
William had been seeing us for 5 years which probably felt like a life sentence to him - he was not a fan! When his owner, Kerry, asked if we could write a little something about his time with us - for such a character, how could we not...
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William, with your total disdain for hydrotherapy. I have never known pre-session procrastination like it. Like an art form...
Starting with the treadmill, usually I ask a dog to work with the forelimb plate first to focus on the back legs. Then work up to no plate, all four legs...so, essentially, just walking. Not a chance. Is it not enough my back legs have to go through this torture?? Now you're trying to involve the front?!! Soooo, an eternity with the plate it is! We can work with that...
Not your best past-time William? Let's make it better with a treat. Hmm...so we're either treating it like poison, total 'stranger-danger'...or you'll let me think you want it, but then instantly splop it out..or take it (yey!)..albeit taken like I'm trying to post a parcel through a letter box...why?!!
OK, so we've got this. Now just walk straight. I'll keep your back legs, and only your back legs, moving. Easy. Errrrm. Nap. I'll banana right, and may just add in a slightly eerie little whimper every now and then for good measure. And when I get a rest, I'll gravitate towards a corner and push my head against it...any way to end this incessant walking!! Then throw in some full body shakes - just because it doesn't quite seem to be landing with you that I absolutely hate this, Emma!
So, let's mix it up a bit William! Move it over to the pool...
OK. What fresh hell is this? It's totally fine, we'll just carry you in backwards, because if you can't see the water, it's not really there and this is not really happening. I will, however, accept those treats to get through these 1 minute rounds which may as well be 10 minutes. Surprise though is, actually, I'm a great little swimmer! Until one day, I cotton on to the fact that, actually, if you stop, you don't drown. So I'll just drift. Coast. Nothing you can do about it.....
....except put you back in the treadmill. We're ALL sorry about that William.
William, you were the absolute best at being the absolute worst. You never gave one inch from being completely, unreasonably problematic to work with. Totally irreplaceable. One of a kind.
We'll miss you x
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