On a flying visit to Whitley Bay to collect our dog Benji who's been on holiday here while we were away. He will be fourteen in November, although he often behaves like a much younger dog. He's been with us for the past five years since we found him via the internet at an RSPCA dog rescue centre.
Last summer he had a mast cell tumour removed from behind his front left leg and made a great recovery from the surgery. This summer the tumour has come back and is inoperable. Yesterday when we got here, he was pleased to see us but seemed a bit confused, which is not like him. We took him for a walk on the beach and when we lifted him down from the car his legs seemed to crumple under him.
I took this photo of him last December in Tynemouth which is one of our favourite winter spots for walking (dogs not allowed May - September). He barks and whines at the waves, then gets in and has a paddle.
Have you ever seen Dean Spanley? It's an incredible film featuring dogs in a very powerful quirky way, with a great cast and brilliant performance by Peter O'Toole.
It's sad when pets start to fail with age. We've always had at least 3 cats and when they get old things can get quite traumatic.
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