25/11/2025
Rafa is so special, has always and will always be to us. We experienced the unprecedented with him!
We imported Rafa into Uganda from the United Kingdom in October 2023 without incident. He settled in quite well and seemed to love the Pearl of Africa....not with that splendid view of the lovely Lake Victoria outside his abode! Albeit a few allergies here and there, life seemed pawsome!
Fast forward to 2025 and plans are underway to send him back to the UK! A plethora of issues crop up...notably an ominous tumour on his chest cavity that would get "angry" and invasive causing extreme lethargy, pain and infection. Towards June, the month he was supposed to go back to the UK it got worse and literally he was counting days on the planet. Debate raged and doubts cropped up whether he would really make the journey back home. Virtually we were being faced with what we imagined was the inevitable. He lost his bark, appetite and generally the oomph he was famous for. As expected the "pawrents" were distraught.
With 10 days left to departure he was rapidly going down hill and i made the toughest and riskiest (but well calculated) decision to operate. We went in for surgery and four hours later the offending tumour and been excised and extricated from his tired body. Dear reader, in utter disbelief 48 hours later, we were jolted from our prayers by one of the loudest barks we'd heard in a long time! The quintessential Rafa was announcing he was back!! His strength and vitality was something of a marvel.
We rushed to confirm flights and in a few days he was airborne. I should also mention that he was the very first pet to be on a Uganda Airlines flight to London Gatwick!!! His loud gratitude bark could still be heard as he flew over the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean......
