Take a Break Pets
Rather than wallow, I was determined to make Looby’s final moments special…
There was a familiar thud on my mattress, then a wet nose nuzzled my cheek.
‘Who needs an alarm clock, eh?’ I smiled.
Every day, my 11-year-old Shih Tzu, Looby, woke me in the same way.
I’d had her since she was a puppy, and she had been there through thick and thin — and recently, life hadn’t been easy.
Three years earlier, I’d lost my lovely dad to cancer. Shortly after, my marriage broke down and my only son left home.
As if that wasn’t enough, I had health issues that meant I struggled to walk.
Despite it all, I never felt low for long. And that was down to my two precious fluffballs, Looby and Lola — a five-year-old Shih Tzu-Yorkshire terrier cross.
That afternoon, I pulled them in for a cuddle and felt a lump on Looby’s neck. Tests revealed she had lymphoma cancer and might only have weeks left. In a daze, I took her home. Then I couldn’t stop the tears.
Once the news had sunk in, I became determined to make the most of every moment. I treated Looby to her favourite foods and, with my pal, took her and Lola to the beach.
However, months passed, and she battled on. It was as if she knew how much I needed her.
‘It’s miraculous,’ the vet said.
Sadly, three years after her diagnosis, Looby became unsteady on her paws. My girl had been fighting for so long, but finally her body was giving up. ‘I don’t want her to suffer,’ I tol
