Rupert and friendships
In 2011 when we brought Renae home as an 8 week old puppy I knew I needed to find others who would help her life be as rich and fun as we could possibly make it. At the time, social media was not the big presence in our lives as it has become, but there was a friendly online schnauzer forum and community which I tapped into.
Through it we met others with puppies and young dogs and a few became close friends through our shared love of dogs…and walking with them. Walks have always formed the backbone of our life with our dogs.
This photograph shows Susie-Belle and Renae, and Watson and Rupert enjoying a weekend together. They were firm friends, sharing many lovely walks, we camped together, we holidayed, the boys visited us several times in France before it became our permanent home. We had a lot of fun and I look back with great fondness to those times.
I credit Renae’s well adjusted approach to life to the early, happy years spent with canine friends like Rupert and Watson. And the help this provided Susie-Belle and later Twinkle, who first learned that life is there to be enjoyed through these shared experiences.
When Renae died in December 2021 one of the people who really understood the heartbreak and closing of a big chapter in my life was Dean. Rupert’s owner and a good friend who’s seen a few ups and downs himself in recent years. I saw Rupert last September and he was struggling with his health and Dean and I chatted long and hard about the sad reality of passing years and dogs’ short lives.
Today Dean has had to say his final goodbye to his beautiful friend. Rupert leaves his brother Watson and I know the loss for Dean and Watson is enormous. But if there’s any comfort it is that the shared love and life they’ve had holds precious memories and nothing will ever change that.
Dogs bring so much into our lives and when they leave there really is no sadness like it.