I held his paw and slept by his side for 14 days in hospital. But it turned out, all the love in the world wasn’t enough to save him. Thus begins the final post on Life of Dozer.
My dearest Dozer,
You came into my life in my arms, holding you protectively. And after almost 14 years together, I held you in my arms protectively again as I said goodbye.
I was sobbing so hard, I forgot everything I wanted to say to you in our final moments together.
So I started writing this letter to you, to say all those things.
I wanted to reminisce about our wonderful times – the thousands of visits to the dog beach, all the wonderful food we sampled together, the cuddles, the neck-scratching-sessions, our road trips.
I wanted to thank you for spreading the joy that is you with readers all around the world, for happily coming along with me to meet readers at events, book signings, fund raisers, lunches, dinners, not to mention TV shows, photo shoots, and my gosh, we can’t forget our stint on Play School!
But as I sit here, typing away with tears streaming down my face, I realise that’s not what I want to say to you.
What I want to say is thank you.
Thank you for giving me your whole heart.
Thank you for giving me your unconditional loyalty.
Thank you for loving me just as I am, for all my flaws, for never caring what I weigh, what I wear, what I look like.
Thank you for always being there, my one constant through the good and bad times.
Thank you for making me smile, even on the hardest of days.
And thank you for trying so hard to stay with me as long as you could, fighting to heal until your very last day. I will never forget how deep you had to dig to find the strength for your rehab walk on our final morning together.
I know that one day, I will be able to look at photos of you again without sobbing. And I know all this pain I am feeling is because I loved you so fiercely and completely, and I wouldn’t trade it for a second I got to spend with you.
But right now, four days after saying goodbye, it feels like the heartbreak will never heal, like I will never smile again.
Rest in peace, my darling Dozer. I will never forget you, and I will never stop loving you.
Love,
Your mum xoxo
Thank you SASH
To the vets and nurses at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH),
Thank you for the extraordinary care, skill, and kindness you showed Dozer. Every moment, from the medical expertise to the gentle reassurance and cheering him on, meant more to me than I can say. Knowing he was in such capable, compassionate hands gave me comfort during the hardest days. I will always be deeply grateful for everything you did for my beautiful boy. – Nagi x
Sending love and hugs xx
Rest in Peace Sweet Hound. Australia loves you very much. Hugs for you Nagi xx
My deepest condolences Nagi. What a special dog and how lucky you are to have loved him and shared so many happy years and special times. May all those wonderful memories of him keep you warm until the two of you meet again. Sending love xxx
Over the years of following you, buying your cookbooks and being touched by you and Dozer, I watched his muzzle get more and more grey. We all knew this day would come, but it’s still so gut wrenching. You’ve been such an amazing team, you & Dozer. And your love for one another was appearent in every photo.
As you move through the grieving process, be easy on yourself and take all the time you need to heal before you go back to work. You’ve given all of us so many amazing recipes, none of us are going to starve from the lack of a great Recipetin idea.
Take care and know that you are loved by so many.
We’re so very sorry Nagi. If love alone could have saved him, Dozer would have lived forever x x
Thank you for sharing your love for Dozer with us. We are truly enriched by it. Peace to the departed soul, and wishing you strength and comfort during this difficult time.”
Oh Nagi I am so sorry for ur loss, broken hearts take a long time to heal, but beautiful Dozer will be watching over u from the other side & well done u for sharing a lot of ur fantastic memories of ur time with Dozer! Sending luv & hugs to you🤗💕💕
RIP dearest Dozer. Nagi, may his love for you and the memories you have bring you comfort and peace. Your Dozer is whole and well again. With luv, R
I bleed with you Nagi. They never leave you and you never forget them. I still can cry after many years at the loss of my beloved dogs, but over time you will cry less frequently and some days you won’t cry at all. Grieve YOUR way and take as long as you need – it’s unique to you. I advise don’t rush to another dog though people will urge you. Let the right pup find you. Then, magic will happen again – promise. I love you, I understand you, I feel for you, Let it be.
Dear Nagi — I have no doubt that Dozer was/is your soul mate. How incomprehensible it must be to have to let go of that profound love. So many people all over the world are crying with you, myself included. However, I know from past experience that the relationship doesn’t end; it does change, even though we don’t want it to, but it stays with us. He’ll always be as near to you as he can possibly be.
Dear, dear Dozer — You’ve been unwell, poor boy, and right now you need to rest. But in awhile, you’ll be playing in the sunshine again, and waiting patiently for your Mum. You are such a good boy, and I’m grateful to have known you through your Mum’s loving stories.
Dear Nagi,
I’m so sorry. Dozer had the best mum and best life. Try think of the fun times. He will always be with you. Take care.
So very sorry, he was a great dog. The love of dogs is unbelievable, their intelligence, playfulness. Our Jack Russel also has those characteristics although, independent and leads the way, Chasing every bird that dares to land on our country property. Love bonds us together, thinking of you, take care.xx
I am so sorry, I had a dog too that I loved so much and know how you feel.
Nagi so very very sorry for you very sad loss i know what its like losing your best friend RIP Dozer
So sorry for your loss Nagi, my thoughts are with you. Rest in peace Dozer, you will be greatly missed. RIP.
Thank you, Nagi, for sharing Dozer with the world. He was so wonderful and I love the Life of Dozer section of this website as much as I love the recipes. Lots of love to you.
When you have been lucky enough to share a portion of your life with a loving dog, you “get it” – the immense sadness of losing that truly loyal friend.
So sad to hear this news. You gave each other the best thing there is to give—unconditional love!! I will always think of Dozer when I’m making one of your fabulous recipes.
I am so sorry for the loss. Anyone can see how much you loved him and how much he loved you.
So very sorry for your loss Nagi, Your Dozer was a beautiful dog human and he was very lucky to have a wonderful Mum like you for 14 years. Remember the good times. ♥️🐾