Just heard that a friends dog has died. Awful News.

I grew up with a dog (a golden retriever named Sintra) and know how close you get to a pet, especially one that has been about through your youth. Louise grew up with, well, lots of dogs as her Mum and Dad bred retrievers for a while. So we both feel our friends pain and are thinking of her at the moment.

It’s hard to explain, the bond between a pet and it’s owner, especially to people without pets or without a strong bond with them. Several stories of people losing pets at work have been met with derision by some people, the people who never had a pet and don’t want one. The people that did have pets understood fine well that a pet is a member of your family, like a brother or sister, and is loved in much the same way.

I’m gonna stop now, cos I think I just called my sister a dog… or something… but you get my point.

So, R.I.P. Oscar, may you ascend to doggy heaven and chase sticks across the cloud tops.