Oliver - 'Olly'

24/01/2026

24.1.26 - a year today since Olly left.

Your first dog is always your best.
Olly was mine.

Whilst the pain never goes away there are others who come along and help to heal.

And make us smile & laugh.

Here’s ‘Tess’ - a ‘canine partners’ pup that I’m fostering. She’s a little darling. Nowhere near as stubborn as Olly but then she’s had a great start in life so far, whilst Olly had a rough time of it.

I’ll maybe use this page to promote interesting & supportive stuff for charities.

Big up to Ricky for donating all that money to help animals.

*The Lion was the one I saw recently at Unkumbe Lodge🇿🇦

He’d eaten so much wilderbeast he was panting and couldn’t move. At one point he did roll over and look across at us, sitting there gawping at him.

‘You’re next’ the look in his eyes seemed to say.

04/05/2025

I’ll be closing Olly’s page soon.

Thank you to everyone who helped save him, followed his page and shared his story.

I’m sure there’ll be another set of paws 🐾 to fill the giant hole he left - the hole in the garden, his ‘pit’ is filling up with flowers ☺️

If you’d like to stay in touch as a Facebook friend let me know and/or if you’d like me to add you to my mailing list for when I set up my newsletter please e mail me at [email protected].

24/04/2025

Spot on ❤️

“What’s the hardest part about having a dog?” they asked, their tone casual, like it was just another question.
I glanced at the worn leash hanging by the door, my chest tightening. “Letting them go,” I said quietly.
They frowned a little, waiting for me to explain. “They come into your life like they were always meant to be there,” I said, trying to find the words. “They make everything better—simpler, brighter. And you think it’s always going to be that way. But it’s not. One day, they’re gone, and you’re left with all the space they used to fill.”
They nodded, but I wasn’t sure they understood. “It’s not the messes they made or the routines you have to let go of,” I continued. “It’s the absence. You walk into the house, and it feels... wrong. The quiet is heavier. The mornings don’t feel the same without them nudging you awake.”
“So why do it?” they asked, their voice softer this time.
I sighed, glancing down at my hands. “Because the love they give you is worth every bit of the heartache. They teach you how to love without holding back, even when you know it’s going to hurt in the end. And you keep choosing that love because you know it’s one of the best things you’ll ever feel.”
R.M. Drake 🐶 from the book ' Dog People'
Artist Credit : Iain Welch

22/04/2025

How cool is this 😎
Olly would approve - and there’s a lottery to take part in - how lovely ❤️

13/04/2025

A lovely walk that Olly loved to sniff.
It’s a lovely walk - glad I got outdoors.
Life’s so much better with fresh air (& dogs) 😊

10/04/2025

That’s a long & winding road Olly….

Yeah but we all know where it leads to Mum ❤️❤️❤️☺️

04/04/2025

I love you 🥰 😊

03/04/2025

🥰 he loved his doggy do-nuts 😊

Life is so very different without him. Freedom - not having to rush home or worry about leaving him too long.

He got so very frail and it was agony to see his walks become less & less. The guilt around letting your pet go is real and picking the right day - before it’s a day too late is tough.

It was a tough day but the right day.

For now, but not forever there will continue to be a dog shaped hole.

There’s about 50 baby goldfish in the pond that pop up for food so they’re enough until another pup comes along.

25/03/2025

🥰 when he gave the ‘sly’ eye, bless him.

A bit about the story......

‘In the twilight of his life, an old dog finds himself revived when a cruel gang of dog-fighters shatters his peaceful existence.

Something awakens within him that means he can fight back against the people who took him from his loving owners. It's a story of retribution for those who would be cruel to dogs for their own entertainment.

This story is a tribute to wonderful Olly, a rescue dog with the heart of a Lion.

It is free to read on Kindle Unlimited,
£2.99 to buy on Kindle or £9.99 paperback.

It’s at 362 in the low fantasy category which is still good after a few weeks.

I’m donating a monthly amount to the rescue team that saved Olly and any sales of his book will also go towards helping them to rescue other dogs. They are all angels.

The Old Dog & the Howl of the Eternal King https://amzn.eu/d/293xljt