Bailey
15th September 1997 to 22nd February 2011
Loved by three families
Every dog is a person, so to speak.
Bailey certainly had a unique history and character. He started
life as a puppy with our good friends Rhonda and Duncan, who taught him
tricks like shaking hands (which we never managed with Seren). In
2004, when they became "silver nomads", he came to live with us
and his long-lost twin brother Finlay. Although they didn't always get
on, they liked to hang out together and sometimes even shared a bed.
(No question about who was the top dog, as the photo shows.)
Bailey had some health troubles, but they
never seemed to worry him. When he came back from surgery in 2005 after
a ruptured disk he was so keen to go for a walk he tried to jump in the
air when we got his lead out, even though he couldn't use his back legs
at all. Gradually we trained him to use them again, but ever after he
dragged his back feet a bit (hence the socks below, when he was still
recovering) and had a funny walk which would make people smile.
Later, he went blind in one eye from glaucoma. But it certainly didn't
stop him showing a cheeky turkey who's boss, even when he was 12.
A few random memories: Bailey (closest to front) at a Basset gathering;
Bailey having a tummy rug; Bailey with a Xmas chew after a bath.
During the Brisbane floods of January 2011, Finlay
(who is blind in both eyes) was very upset by the continual rain and
kept running into Bailey, which then upset both of them, and us. So Bailey
went to his last home, Nadine's parents Dan and Elaine. Here he had a
peaceful retirement, with ever shorter walks and ever longer naps. In
the end had trouble getting around and eating without help, and seemed very old and tired. Below is his last photo. Goodbye old friend.
