Buster (12th May 2003 - 8th August 2008)

Buster was a little dog with a big heart. Brother of Max and Minnie, he was Holly's firstborn of her only litter, and always her favourite. I was there at the birth (Hol rejected the prepared cardboard box and bedding in favour of a leather chesterfield) and caught him as he was falling off the sofa.

He was the self-appointed leader of the little pack and bossed everyone around. He would sit on the back of the chair against the window on guard against birds and cats, the appearance of which would cause him to bark so strenuously he would fall off the chair. He was afraid of nothing except plastic bags caught on trees, which he would watch fearfully over his shoulder.

As a tiny pup he nearly died by getting caught in #2 son's football net in the garden, and hanging by his neck until he passed out. As a young dog he nearly fell in the Mersey by accidentally walking along the narrow ledge on the wrong side of the railings. He loved to race through a group of seagulls on the prom or pigeons in the park and try to chase them into the air as they took off. He was always high on the sheer joy of life and would spend hours chasing and catching his ball.

At the young age of 5 he developed severe kidney failure, according to the vet only brought on by the ingestion of glycol (in antifreeze) which animals find sweet, although fatally toxic. We do not know how he got that or why the other dogs didn't. The vet tried everything to extend some quality of life, but the outcome was inevitable. #1 son and I gave him lots of Reiki which I believe helped him by calming him and hastening the end, so avoiding extra suffering. Signing the consent form for the euthanasia was the hardest thing I've had to do for many years. He gave one little whimper and was gone, all the pain-filled stiffness relaxed away at once. I was the first to hold him as a newborn and the last to hold him as I buried him with his favourite ball.

I am sure Buster's spirit is still racing around joyfully in some other reality.

We all still miss you, Buster. Rest in peace, sweet dog.