Rupert

It never rains... as they say.

The good news is that Stella is on her way home.

The bad news is that we had to have Rupert put down this morning.

Lindsey rang me from work while I was eating breakfast, and contemplating having a shower and getting dressed, to say that Rupert had fallen and couldn't get up. Josh has been looking after Rupert and Hugo overnight when Lindsey and Ian are away. He had tried to get Rupert up and couldn't, and his back feet were weak and floppy. I hastily put some clothes on and Josh came down to pick me up.

Rupert was on the floor in the hallway. He didn't seem to be in distress but clearly couldn't use his back legs. His hips have been dodgy almost for ever. They have been very unreliable for around six months or so. Some of his siblings have had wobblers and/or hip dysplasia. Some of them have already had to be put down. We knew this day was coming. 

Our vet couldn't help with a home visit today but referred us to The Kindest Goodbye, who run an At Home service.

A vet came about an hour later. Rupert was quite happy on a rug, eating scoobie snacks. Hugo was also happily eating scoobie snacks, although his need wasn't as great. Josh was keeping Hugo occupied. I was sat on a stool stroking Rupert's ears. I do love Great Dane ears. They're lovely and soft. They are also very expressive. Great Danes can say a lot with their ears!

The vet was very gentle and calm. Rupert and Hugo liked her. I liked her. And Rupert's ending was equally gentle and calm, although we had to keep Hugo out the way, lest he come to an untimely end by pushing his nose in where Rupert's injection was supposed to go. I don't think anyone, including Rupert, but apart from the vet, noticed his last breath. Just sleeping peacefully.

The vet's husband came up to see if he could help us carry Rupert out to the vet's car, which he kindly did. It turns out that he has been up to Lindsey and Ian's place before to do some plumbing work, and had come up on a couple of weekends with their children to go ferreting for rabbits.  It's a very small world, if you live in Ballarat. (One of the people who works at the Mushroom Farm has also been to Lindsey and Ian's place, to fix the fridges)

Some of the first photos I took of Rupert when he first moved to Hill House:

The day he arrived

His first walk in De Soza Park, Buninyong

Slowly growing into his ears

Some of the last photos I took of him:

Some of my favourite photos of Rupert and Jim:

And my most favourite:

Well done, Rupert. You were a goofy, loving and gentle Very Good Boy