I started this blog when Rosie entered my life some sixteen years ago. For the first few years I had her post stories of the milestones in her precious life.
Somewhere along the way we got busy and in 2014 we moved to Essex which is about the time I seemed to stop posting here but, boy, what a life she had. I feel sad I never charted more of it here, but then again with the new toy of Facebook, as it was then, her life was posted on there instead. So many photos and so many special memories. I was so blessed.
I tell the story of how I always knew she would come into my life and I had waited for her. I would dream about this little black and white cocker spaniel as a teenager, and then I stopped as life took over until in 2009 I started dreaming of her again. It seemed changes I had not predicted were afoot. I gave up my day job in 2010, and Rosie came along, as if she knew before I did that our paths were destined to be together.
I have reservations about the way some dog breeding happens so made sure I chose well. I chose a mum and daughter who bred to all the standards, KC registered etc, but had the mum and grandmother dogs, as pets in the house. Rosie chose me when I first met her.
She was the most adorable and beautiful dog, great with children, 'good' most of the time, but she had her funny quirks and I wouldn't have it any other way. A cute, happy, cheeky, special little girl.
When she met Mal, who I later married, she was in love with him and kind of shifted her follow-me-around behaviour to following him around. Daddy spoiled her of course! She knew who to sit by for treats.
She came with us to so many Airbnbs, especially Brighton which she loved and would walk for hours from Hove to Brighton and back. Though her last holiday in 2025 we needed to take her on the bus. We knew then the day was coming.
She never really slowed down but she did lose her sight gradually and was completely blind by the time she was 14. She was also deaf and I hated to think of her living in a silent black box. But she trotted around, wagging her tail and never stopped loving her food. Even when she had these horrible benign lumps in her ear (removed three times under sedation but it wasn't fair to keep putting her through it)... and her chin. Horrible things that leaked, she still seemed happy so we carried on. Even when she peed on the carpet and pooed sometimes, we let her be while she still had quality to her life.
It's awful when you get the sense of an ending, makes you cherish those moments even more. We couldn't decorate the house or move furniture as she couldn't see, but we carried on loving her and taking her for short walks. We lost the cats Cagney and Lacey before her, Lacey in 2020 (aged nearly 16) and Cagney in 2024 aged 20! And Rosie's time was coming. We dreaded it so much.
She died at home peacefully, I never had to take her to do it. Everything was always on her terms, she knew what she wanted. When I knew she was ready, that sad day in February 2026, I held her all day telling her how much I loved her and what a good girl she had always been. She was such a feisty strong girl, first born and always bossing her litter mates, and I think she probably lived longer than all of them. She held on so I laid on the floor with her all night, holding her paw and she took her last breath at 7.10 am on 19th February, 2026. The worst day of my life, except for when I lost Lee.
But I don't think her story is over. She is never far away. I have left memory stones in all her favourite places and I feel as if she is still with me. Her ashes are buried with the cats and all the pets I have ever loved in my parents' garden. I think she has been preparing the soul of another little one to come to us and that is what is happening.
We meet him in the flesh Saturday; another cocker spaniel and this time I plan to make sure we keep his blog going throughout his life. Rosie was four months shy of her 16th birthday, and I hope her predecessor will live such a long and happy life. I am ready for the new chapter, but I will never forget this beautiful sweet girl who blessed our lives. When it's up and running I will send the link in my final post on this blog to the new puppy as he begins his adventures... and I get to do it all again :)
Never forgotten... Rosie Brown 24.06.2010 -- 19.02.2026
