Tribute to Charlie Dog
How It All Began
My late hubby, “Charlie,” and I adopted little Charlie in November 2017 from our local Jersey Rescue Dog Charity.
When I first met little Charlie, my husband Charlie (Man) was in the hospital with pneumonia. It was He who decided he wanted to come live with us! We were told that Charlie (Hubby-H) would not make it to Xmas, and I needed to go back to work after many years of illness. He came out of the hospital, and we then brought Charlie Dog home for a 2-week trial… and he never left.
We were meant for each other.
Charlie Dog was 10 and like a puppy, all the time! The bond with his daddy was wonderful, but as he had limited mobility, I did the walking, etc. Their bond was strong, and a year later, Charlie H was walking little Charlie Dog around the block twice daily—slowly but surely—and my hubby had improved so much. Little Charlie had the best of all worlds and was living his very best life.
A Time of Loss
Fast forward to 2020—my hubby’s health was deteriorating, and he needed a pacemaker replacement. COVID was upon us, and he had to travel to Oxford for this procedure—alone, as I was not allowed to travel with him.
In brief, this was a dreadful time, and within six weeks and three trips to and from Oxford, the device was replaced, removed, and never replaced again due to sepsis in the device area.
He never came home again and sadly passed away, but very peacefully, on July 6, 2020.
The day after he passed away, my niece, who had just given birth to 2 gorgeous twin girls on 3 July, was given a terminal lung cancer diagnosis. Charlie Dog grieved for his missing daddy and got me through all of this. Sadly, my niece also passed away 17 months later, in December 2021. And once again, Charlie Dog got me through all that.
My Constant Companion
He was my life—my routine—my shadow 100% 24/7.
We have been inseparable ever since.
I have a beautiful new static holiday caravan in France, and I have only ever travelled there with him. He was the reason for living—along with my swimming, he has got me through so much.
The Final Chapter
At Easter this year, while in France, he jumped out of the car and misjudged the height. I think he damaged his shoulder, and we had him on anti-inflammatories. All seemed fine.
We came home, and all was great until the intense heatwaves started. I think this increased the pain. His last 3 weeks were very hard to watch and witness as he became lame rather quickly, and I was back and forth to the vets—simply not knowing what to do for the best.
But it all got worse very fast overnight on 15 July; we went to the vets in the afternoon, and sadly, I could not watch him suffer any more. I had to call the vets in the morning, and the vet we saw that afternoon said he wondered whether he should have done this that afternoon, and we had no choice but to put him to sleep.
I had to drive down at 8 am—on my birthday—and fortunately, my friend met me there to be with me. Charlie Dog hated the vets—always got so stressed—so they very kindly sedated him first, in my arms, and then I sat in my car, holding him tight while they put him to sleep.
This was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
I am absolutely heartbroken—still, almost 13 weeks later—cannot stop crying. I simply cannot unsee his gorgeous, sweet little ‘sleepy’ face as they took him away from me, and I can still feel him. 💔💔
Living With the Grief
Having lost many people in my life, I have NEVER experienced grief like this. I never knew I had so many tears to shed. It is inexplicably hard.
There are fewer weepy days—but it still feels so raw. I am having to keep myself so busy, it’s exhausting.
My birthday will forever be OUR day.
As I write this, I am preparing to wish him a happy heavenly 18th birthday tomorrow. We are usually in France for his birthday, so I will try to enjoy a croissant for him.
I miss him daily! All day and every day—and still look for him in the back of my car.
But I will get there… although it will take a long time.
Forever Loved
I have had two memory cushions made now. They are as soft as he was—it’s a small consolation—but he is irreplaceable. One thing is guaranteed: I will never forget or replace him.
Forever loved my Charlie Dog, 6 October 2007 – 16 July 2025.
Thank you for reading this tribute…
🐾 Closing Reflection
Sharing or reading a tribute to a beloved pet is a powerful way to honour our deep bond with our animal companions. Stories like this remind us that their love continues to live in our hearts even when they’re no longer by our side.
If you’re grieving the loss of a pet, please know you’re not alone. You can explore more tributes in our Pet Tribute Gallery, or join our Facebook community for comfort and connection.
If you feel called to receive one-to-one support, you’re welcome to contact me to explore gentle pet loss support coaching.
✍️ Author Acknowledgement
This tribute was lovingly shared by Sal MG and remains their original work.
© 2025 Sal MG| Published on Tails of Tribute. All rights reserved.
