Ollie Collie

13/11/2023

Thinking of Ollie today on what would have been his 12th birthday.
He was always so healthy, so full of energy and life. He never looked or acted his age.
We always believed he would live to a ripe old age. We never imagined he would leave us so soon.
He is still missed so very much.
He could never be replaced and will always hold a very special place in our hearts 💕

22/07/2023

Our first trip to the caravan without Ollie.

11 years ago, after taking a very messed up, petrified of everything and everyone, 5 month old Border Collie pup into our family, we soon realised our holidays abroad were a thing of the past. We had nobody readily available to look after him. Our daughters had grown up and fled the nest and had homes and animals of their own to care for. There was NO WAY we would ever leave him in a boarding kennel or with strangers. He was just too nervous, too fearful and totally reliable on us. He would have suffered and pined terribly.
So! We bought our first caravan. That way we could still go away AND take him with us!

The caravan holidays were a massive part of training him, building his confidence and teaching him that strangers weren't there to hurt him. It was a huge part of the amazing dog he grew into. He got so much enjoyment on our regular trips away. He ADORED the beach and right up until the last few days before we lost him it was his very favourite place to be!
There were also lots of fields to run in and interesting walks where he could explore, sniff and c**k his leg up, leaving his mark countless times! (Until eventually he would c**k his leg up and nothing came out!) and lots of new dogs to meet.
The caravan was definitely his happy place!

We have just returned from our very first caravan trip, in 11 years, without him.

It was a very emotional trip. Missing the routine that has been part of our trips away for so very long and of course missing his antics and amazing company.... his loyalty and never ending enthusiasm!
So many very happy memories of him.
We made a point of going out to different places and not staying on the site too long, mostly avoiding the places he loved to be...
Before we left my husband went onto the beach and threw his stick into the sea... one last time.

We had a lovely few days, but it was very very different without our Ollie and not without much sadness.
We miss him.

02/07/2023

My husband has made these lovely momentos from resin with some of Ollie's fur inside them ❤️

29/06/2023

First of all I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the lovely comments on my previous (pinned) post.
Massive thanks too, to all those that have followed this page and have enjoyed joining Ollie Collie in his adventures.

The house has been far too empty and quiet today.
No skinny little black thing running up and downstairs and barking excitedly first thing in the morning as we got up. Right up until now, when he would be lay at the side of me on the sofa, with his head resting on my knee, pawing me if I dared to stop stroking him.
The spaces on the kitchen floor where his dishes should be.... His empty bed upstairs....

Last week when we went away to the caravan, he had an amazing time. He was happy and thoroughly enjoyed himself.... Energetic and as enthusiastic as ever. He did have a couple of days where he seemed extra tired after exersize and was panting more than usual. But the weather was warm and he had been walked more than he would be at home, which was the way our regular trips to the caravan always went, but we were aware he wasn't getting any younger and just put it down to that.
We rested him for 2 days, kept him as cool as was possible and gave him pain killers.
He had a bit of rheumatism (that very rarely troubled him) and we thought a combination of that and the heat was troubling him. He was eating fine, very alert and enthusiastic and incredibly puzzled as to why he wasn't allowed to run around!
He appeared to recover 100% after his short rest. Right up to the weekend when we were home. He was out chasing his stick around and doing what Ollie did best!

On Monday, he stopped eating and was very lethargic. We did the usual thing of buying a variety of foods to tempt him to eat and gave him a pain killer.
Tuesday there was no improvement, so we took him to the vet, who examined him and said he had possibly pulled or torn a muscle and was in pain.
He gave him strong pain killers and told us that if there was no improvement to take him back the next day.
Wednesday he had deteriorated rapidly.
Back to the vets we went. They kept him in to give him a scan and some blood tests.
The vet phoned us later in the afternoon. The scan had revealed a large mass in his abdomen. His bowels, pancreas and lymph nodes were extremely inflamed and he had fluid (blood?) in his stomach.
His cancer had returned tenfold and had caused internal bleeding.
The vet said if he was his dog he would euthenise him right there and then.
There was nothing they could do to make him better. He said he could open him up to see how it looked inside and to get more answers, but that would be pointless and unfair to put Ollie through anymore, just to find definitive answers as to what else was going on.
This completely threw us and shocked us to our core! It was the last thing we expected.
The worst I had expected was that he had a stomach ulcer.
The vet said it would have all been grumbling away in the background for some time, until something inside had ruptured.....and yet apart from the couple of days last week, he had shown no symptoms or indications at all that he was suffering or in any pain. (typical tough Border Collie!)

Within 2 hours he was laid to rest in our garden, buried with his stick.

The vet was amazing along with the other staff who were also brilliant, (especially a lovely lady called Ruth, who also knew Ollie outside of the practice)
They were so lovely with him and us.
They allowed us to spend some time with him in their gardens before we said our final goodbyes.

We always dreaded the time when he grew old and was no longer able to run and enjoy his life to the fullest.
We take comfort in the fact that right up until a few days before his passing he was still running round like a loony chasing his stick, full of enthusiasm and life.

Until now we hadn't really realised how much of our life was built around him.
He was a massive part of our lives and things will never be the same again.
He will ALWAYS remain in our hearts and
in time, I'm sure, we will be able to just look back and cherish all the wonderful memories.
He taught us so much and filled our lives with joy.

Julia ###

(this photo was taken last week after his rest days. You can see how healthy and happy he looked)

28/06/2023

I have some very sad news to share with you all.
Today, very unexpectedly, Ollie Collie has left us to go to rainbow bridge.
We are devastated, shocked and heartbroken.

Ollie was an extremely challenging puppy! But with heaps of patience and even more love, he grew up to be the BEST dog ever....
Very intelligent, very loving and such a character!
He was very well behaved for the most part, but with a cheeky mischievous side too.
He was always very eager to please us, but couldn't always keep his quirky side at bay.
He loved nothing more than chasing his stick and running faster than the wind!
He loved, and thoroughly enjoyed, playing in the sea.
And cuddles!! He loved cuddles.

The house seems very quiet and empty without him.
He will be very sadly missed.
There will never be another Ollie Collie!

Julia xx

25/06/2023

20/06/2023

I made a new friend today!

09/04/2023

From 5 months to 11 years and 5 months.

02/04/2023

Great day at the beach

22/02/2023

They bought me a Snuffle ball!!
(to make me work for my treats!)
It's lots of fun!