Lewis

Lewis passed away 24th May 2013

It is with a very heavy heart that Kim Leonard and I had to let Lewis, (aka Westmeade Prince. Brother of Westmeade Lord and half brother to the legendary Westmeade Hawk) our beloved new greyhound, be put to sleep yesterday. It was one year from the weekend that we also lost Charlie (Fivefold Flyer).

Having had him for just under a year, he’s been the most loving, devoted and faultless of dogs. He seemed to know he’d struck lucky at being rescued and every day with a new day of wonder, awe, sunbathing, chin scratches and an ongoing expression of “I didn’t even know they HAD this! This is my favourite thing”. (Note: EVERYTHING was his favourite thing. Enjoyed with a zen-like appreciation, al a “The Dude” ) He was also very inquisitive, with a child-like curiosity and nosiness, which had earned him the name Lewis (from the ITV series) He was also an English born greyhound, which is unusual; hence a very English name.

More than anything, I was distraught at losing Charlie, and Lewis quickly healed that loss…falling in love with him within the first week in our home. He attached himself to us immediately; as if he’d been our pet for years. He was a pleasure to walk and adored people, charming nearly everyone he came across by leaning across their thighs as a way of demanding attention. (This need was constant). He would stand and be stroked until a bald spot wore in his lovely blue coat, he so relished being petted and spoke to. Even when you were on the computer, he would rest his chin on your knee. Just to be near you.

Sadly, his health had been a constant battle and we struggled to keep weight on him. Despite being to the vet’s several times since January for what had been tentatively diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Disease…last week he took a very dramatic turn for the worse. He wouldn’t eat, couldn’t keep anything down and was jaundiced. Our vet was unable to help, and we were referred to a high-end specialist in Bedfordshire (think Addenbrooke’s or The Mayo Clinic for Dogs. Seriously. Very impressive. I wish they did humans). Lewis had additional bloodwork, ultrasounds and finally, biopsies of his liver, kidneys and spleen. The biopsies revealed that all those organs were failing, being rife with Lymphoma.

Already very weakened, the surgery took a lot of out him and with very little prospect of any recovery his specialist advised that we humanely put Lewis to sleep. It was a decision that Kim and I had already agreed on the night before, if an aggressive cancer was to be found. He was far too ill to fight it, and the disease too advanced. As before, Kim, Bella and I were all with him and held him as he passed over. He was ready to go…I think. He only hardly registered we were there, other than to rest his chin on Kim’s knee. 

Needless to say, a year on from before; we find ourselves a family of three once again and hearts broken yet again.

Kim and Morgan Leonard