08/05/2026
It’s been an emotional week this week. It’s taken me a few days to write this little tribute to the beautiful Kiwi as I feel so sad 😔 I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this side of my job. It truly breaks my heart 😢 When you have walked a beautiful dog like Kiwi for the last 7 years, it’s impossible to not develop a love & rapport for them. It’s why us dog walkers do our job right? ❤️🐾 Yet it’s always so difficult to say goodbye to them when the rainbow bridge beckons them 🌈😢
I started walking Kiwi & her live in friend Toby back in 2019. Straight away I fell in love with both of the Retrievers personalities. Toby was always the most mischievious one leading the ever sensible Kiwi astray, only for Kiwi later to act like she had nothing to do with the shenanigans by almost disowning Toby. I’d see her look at me as if to say; “he’s not with me!” 😂
In the early days, owners Carmen & Stuart always kindly gave me permission to let both pups off the lead at a safe location so they could have the freedom of running around to have fun. However, I always had my reservations of letting these beauties off a lead as I was certain they would take advantage by getting up to all kinds of antics and I was right 😂 They both had a tendency to disappear into the nearby forest of trees for what felt like an eternity (possibly just a couple of minutes.) After calling them and calling them, they would suddenly reappear from the foliage with Toby looking very pleased with himself, followed by a guilty looking Kiwi 😂
On one memorable occasion, I thought I’d outwitted the mischievous pair by taking them on an all enclosed field. I swear the pups looked at each other and silently plotted their escape….next thing I knew, Toby scrambled over the high wall at the edge of the field with his loyal friend Kiwi following closely behind him and they both ended up in some poor, unsuspecting chaps garden 😂 thankfully Kiwi realised the pickle they were in and she managed to squeeze herself back through a small gap in the wall to return to me on the field, but no sign of Toby. Clearly he was too big to squeeze through the gap like his friend! I frantically phoned my husband Steve (who was at home) to come & help me find Toby. As Steve set off, beads of sweat were collectively forming on my brow when my phone rang. Confused owner Carmen asked if I had both dogs with me. I confessed all and said only Kiwi had returned, and that Toby had done a runner over the wall into someone’s garden. Carmen laughed and said she’d received a phone call from the man whose garden Toby ended up in and that Toby was safe! I heaved a sigh of relief and sent my husband on a quest to retrieve Toby from the helpful man. Steve said Toby looked extremely proud of himself when he collected him. He and Kiwi were soon reunited with Kiwi just looking up at me, practically rolling her eyes at her naughty friend 😂
Late 2024, Toby sadly passed away. Just 2 weeks before my own dog Shankly. It was a super sad time but I took comfort from walking Kiwi and my other clients doggies.
Since Toby departed, Kiwi developed a mischievous side of her own. It’s like a part of Toby was living on in Kiwi. She started to become more cuddly and was clearly enjoying having all the attention for herself. She even began posing for photos I would take, when in the past, she was normally pretty camera shy. Myself and Kiwi’s owners embraced the sudden needy change in her. She just became a breath of fresh air 💕🐾🥰
One day, while walking the newly mischievous Kiwi off-lead at Rossmore fields, she decided to leap into a swamp! For one horrifying moment I thought she was stuck and I would have to wade in to rescue her, but thankfully, she managed to scramble out & come back to me. She looked up at me, her beautiful Retriever eyes peering out from the black mask of mud that covered her from head to toe. She looked like she had a spray tan 🤣 My portable shower hadn't even scratched the surface in cleaning her up so it was the garden hose once I got her home. The patient owners couldn’t stop apologising profusely for her antics. I found the whole thing hilarious. “Best keep her on a lead in future,” said the owners. I nodded in agreement 😂🥰
As Kiwi turned 13 years I could see the old gal was slowing down. However, it always used to amuse me how once spotting a squirrel, she would suddenly develop a spring in her step. Bless her. Once a Retriever always a Retriever ❤️
Then that dreaded time came when owners Carmen & Stuart had to make that heartbreaking decision for her to be put to sleep. Her health had declined quickly and they could no longer see her struggling. They were kind enough to ask me if I’d like to visit Kiwi on Monday to say goodbye and I accepted. Oh Kiwi how I hugged you and tried to maintain a brave face for your lovely owners, but I was absolutely no use to them whatsoever. I was a mess 😢 You have had the most amazing life full of love and happiness ❤️
On Tuesday 5th May, in the afternoon, Carmen and Stuart had to hug you one last time as they said their goodbyes, you peacefully passed on and were reunited with Toby, Shankly and all your other friends 🥰🌈🐾
Run free beautiful girl, go join your friends over the rainbow bridge. You will be very much missed 💕🌈🐾❤️
Lots of love
Vicky ###xx
