01/08/2026
Today, with the heaviest heart imaginable, I have to share that our beloved Madiba has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 💔🌈
We are utterly devastated.
Madiba wasn't "just a dog." He was my soul mate. My best friend. The love we shared is something I don't think words can ever truly capture. He knew me better than anyone. He would talk to me with looks. He could read me like a book. Our eyes would meet from opposite sides of the room, his tail would instantly start wagging, and I would smile. He was my shadow, always quietly by my side, never asking for anything except to be close to me.
Even when he was sound asleep, if I walked past, that tail would start wagging. No wonder he recently ended up with a tail injury. He was the happiest, gentlest, lickiest dog - always the first to greet you. A true gentleman. Australian Champion and father to 24 puppies. He was majestic in every sense of the word.
On Thursday morning, he jumped onto my bed as he always did. He was shivering. I thought he was cold, so I covered him with a blanket and held him close. Then the shivering changed. His body began twitching, almost as though he was dreaming. When he stood up, he struggled to walk. His legs cramped and started to knuckle underneath him.
We rushed him to the vet.
An ultrasound revealed a ruptured tumour on his spleen that had caused massive internal bleeding. His body had gone into shock. He was taken into emergency surgery immediately. The vets removed more than a litre of blood from his abdomen along with his spleen.
We desperately hoped the surgery had saved him.
But our beautiful boy never truly came back to us. His legs remained stretched out and stiff. His neck was rigid. He was barely conscious. We brought him home, praying that with time he would wake up and recognise us again.
Instead, he began having convulsions.
That was the moment we knew we had reached the end of our journey together.
We stayed with him all night, talking to him, holding him, loving him, thanking him for every incredible day he had given us. The vet came to our home the following morning, and we said the most heartbreaking goodbye.
It all happened within 24 hours.
One day he was perfectly normal. The next, he was gone.
The shock is almost impossible to comprehend. We are devestated.
The pain I feel is raw and beyond anything I have ever experienced. My heart is shattered, and right now I genuinely cannot imagine life without him. There is an emptiness in this house, and in my heart, that words simply cannot describe.
Madiba, I can not thank you enough for every tail wag, every kiss, every cuddle, every adventure, every moment you walked beside me. Thank you for making us "your world". Loving you has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
You weren't just part of my world.
You were my world.
You will always be "Mamas Madiba"
I love to infinity. ❤️🐾
