Toby Leggett

OUR GORGEOUS TOBY IS AT PEACE (11.2.2018)

On 11th February, Anne, a very good friend, told us Anita and Bill are absolutely heartbroken because their beloved Toby had been given peace that morning. His cancer had spread to his liver and had enlarged his heart.

Although we knew he was severely ill, the news still came as quite a shock to everyone as we thought he had turned a corner but, despite the vets doing all they could to give him a chance, sadly, it just wasn’t meant to be.

TOBY’S MESSAGE

If it should be that I grow weak and pain should keep me from my sleep
then you must do what must be done, for this last battle can’t be won.
You will be sad, I understand, don’t let your grief then stay your hand,
for this day, more than all the rest, your love for me must stand the test.
We’ve had so many happy years, what is to come can hold no fears.
You’d not want me to suffer so the time has come please let me go.
Take me where my need they’ll tend and please stay with me till the end.
I know in time that you will see the kindness that you did for me,
Although my tail it’s last has waved, from pain and suffering I’ll been saved.
Please do not grieve, it must be you who had this painful thing to do.
We’ve been so close, we three, these years, don’t let your hearts hold back your tears.

A HEARTBREAKING GOODBYE

Anita said “Both Bill and I are finding the loss of Toby really painful and neither of us is coping very well.

Toby was not just a dog, he was our little boy whom we cared for and loved for over 11 years. He came to us a really nervous dog and left us as the most loving dog you could ever imagine.

We really appreciate all the lovely comments about him which made us both cry but the words did mean so very much to us both. Yes, we are heartbroken but we will always remember Toby and the lovely life that we had with him and the wonderful the memories that we both hold of him.

At the moment it is simply too raw to look at Toby’s photos but we know Di’s and Ian’s Christmas Party pics are a wonderful reminder of recent happy times that we all shared.

Both of our hearts hurt so much, there is no pain like it, but we have to be strong for our little girl, Goldie, who is our number one priority right now. She is certainly getting a huge amount of attention and love and is being treated like a Duchess, as you would expect!

We know the pain will, in time, get easier but, for now, we all need to grieve for Toby then try to think of all the lovely memories that we had of him. There were certainly a lot. We know he will now be with
his lovely wife Chelsea who has been waiting patiently for him for 2 years.

We send much love to all at IRR. Thank you for everything and for caring. It means so much to us both. We would like to thank everyone so much for their very kind words and much appreciated hugs.

Love from Anita Bill and Goldie xxx”

REMEMBERING TOBY

We all know, only too well, how much pain Anita and Bill must be going through at the moment. The only thought
going constantly through their minds is they want Toby back even if only for one more day.
Losing our beloved dogs is the worst part of sharing our lives with these wonderful beings. Their lives are way too short in comparison to ours. People who don’t love dogs as we do often say “it gets easier” but we find it gets much harder because, added to the loss we are bearing, we have all our past bereavements with the memories of the sadness we felt the last time we suffered loss.

We feel helpless and hopeless and totally distraught. Poor Goldie will be feeling the loss too, bless her, and it is good that Anita and Bill have her to focus on to help them through the darkest days. We wish we could take their pain away but we can’t. It is the cross we bear for feeling love but, thankfully, it will get easier and, one day, the good memories will replace the emptiness.

There are so many people who fondly remember Toby and how he had been so cruelly treated. We will never forget the dreadful state of his neck where the chain had cut through it. After such cruelty, he could have, justifiably, developed a hatred for humans but, although Toby was understandably nervous and lacking in trust, his wonderful temperament still shone though.

He was a lovely boy, a real credit to Anita and Bill and also to Chelsea who offered him the paw of friendship when he needed one most. It is reassuring that she will be taking care of him once again now they are reunited at Rainbow Bridge.

TOBY FOUGHT SO HARD

On Wednesday 31st Jan, Anne told us poor Toby been admitted to the vets and they had put him on a drip but he was not responding. His protein levels had fallen. They had x-rayed him and could see nothing but they feared cancer. He hadn’t eaten for a week without vomiting despite having been to the vets where they tried anti sickness meds, took bloods and checked a poo sample. The next plan was to send him to Langford Veterinary School for a scan.

Anita was in pieces and was going to have him home that night and take him back into the vets first thing in
the morning. Poor Goldie had been lost without him.

Even being home, Toby was a very unhappy boy as they all waited anxiously to hear about an emergency scan.

On Friday 2nd February, Toby was admitted to Whitchurch Veterinary Hospital. He had a scan and a general anesthetic so biopsies could be taken. His protein level was extremely low, only just above 20 and below 20 they would not have been able to operate.

They were thinking it was very bad infection rather than cancer but we all knew he wasn’t out of the woods and was so poorly he may not even survive the operation. Nevertheless, Toby was battling and came round ok that night.

By the next morning, his protein level had stabilised but Bill and Anita had to wait to visit him until the next day. The vets were pleased with his progress but he was still a very sick dog. He had also developed a swelling on his face which they thought may be to do with protein.

On the Sunday, they all went to see Toby who was allowed off his drip for half an hour. It was an emotional visit and Goldie gently licked his face.

On Monday, the vets called to say the swelling on his face had gone down a little and he had eaten food which had stayed down but they were still awaiting the biopsy results.

Later, it was confirmed Toby did have cancer and, at most, only had a matter of months to live so Bill and Anita were going to have him home to enjoy what time they had left with him.

Anita was hoping Toby would be able to return home at the end of the week but the vets couldn’t say how he would respond to the Chemotherapy tablets he was going to take. Apparently, one dog lasted only 2 days on them whilst another lived 2 months. Until they got him home they didn’t really know how he was,

Late on Wednesday evening, the vet called to say they had some more results back and Toby had e-coli in his gut. It seemed it was actually the e-coli that had made him ill not the cancer so they were going to start him on the right antibiotics and treat the cancer as well.

They said Bill and Anita could have him home on Friday but they would still have to feed him through a drip for a week until the antibiotics had worked. They were feeling a lot more relieved as they were on a huge emotional rollercoaster.

The plan was to enjoy what time they had left with Toby. Everyone hoped it would be a few years whilst remembering Toby was going to be 13yrs in March. The only thing they could do was to live for each day and try not to dwell too much on the future.

It’s so sad the lives of our dogs have to be so short in comparison to ours but the one good thing is they don’t need to suffer unlike us humans. We were all hoping and praying the Chemo would kick in and Toby would be one of the lucky ones.

Unfortunately, our optimism was short-lived and it had been false hope. On the morning of Sunday 11th February, Toby was quietly put to sleep.

HISTORY

TOBY was born in March 2005. He had been tied up almost all of his life. He had a deep cut around his neck which had to be stitched!!!! Toby is a very handsome young dog, almost white in colour, with a long thick coat, and the traditional ‘big’ goldie head. He was timid at first but gained confidence by the hour, he has a lovely temperament, and his big tail doesn’t stop wagging.

Andy, his fosterer said “Toby is a joy to have around, he’s daft as a brush and no trouble at all.

He is great on the lead and his recall, whilst not perfect, is pretty good, too. Amazingly, he is excellent on the lead. He is house-trained and people and dog friendly”.

UPDATE on TOBY

from his forever mum, Anita

Toby is settling in well in his new home in Somerset. Everybody adores this gorgeous boy including his new girlfriend, Chelsea. He has well and truelly got his paws under the table already. Chelsea has been quite poorly and Toby has been her hero and is looking after her while she recovers from her operation.

Everyone at Irish Retriever Rescue wishes Chelsea well again very, very soon.

FURTHER UPDATE ON TOBY

Toby has settled in very well, he gets more confident every day and being a mischievous teenager despite trying very hard he cannot stay out of trouble, he has to nibble anything that hangs down, leaves, cushion tassels etc. He is the most adorable dog, when he is happy he sings, in the morning when we get up he jumps around with his teddy in his mouth singing, if we go out when we return he yelps with delight and when Chelsea came back from the vet after a check-up he was beside himself with joy. He is a joy to have and brings us a great deal of fun.

With regards to Chelsea he absolutely adores her and will not leave her side. When she was recovering from her operation she was sleeping on the sofa, he sat beside her for 3 days, occasionally getting up to lick her nose or wash her ears. She is now well on the mend and she loves him, they are always playing tug of war with their cuddly toys, please tell Andy that the Teddy he gave us is having a rough time of it, he is now much taller then he was and has lost his nose, but he is bearing up. It may be worth setting up a home for badly treated teddy bears, or a teddy bear hospital. As Chelsea continues to recover and gets fitter, so the daily rumbles get longer, she generally starts it and he willingly obliges her. Initially he was a bit rough, but she has sorted him out, and he definitely knows that she is the boss.

Toby is a great guard dog unless he is tired, in the car he sits and talks to any passing animal, not barking just quietly growling and yelping. He loves mud and can always find the muddiest place where he proceeds to lie in the middle and drag himself along so that he gets completely plastered, a very definite contrast of black and white. However on returning home he is happy to stand under the hose to be cleaned off.

Thank you so much for getting him for us he is truly a wonderful dog and has made life for all of us especially Chelsea so much better. The work that you do is wonderful and we spread the name of the IRR at every opportunity.