08/05/2026
♡MILDRED♡
(Millie, Milderina, Beine, Milde, Mil-Mil♡)
Mildred arrived into our lives in 2009 full of fleas and a wormy little belly. She was only a tiny handful of a mottled Dachshund / Maltese mix. She was just completely our Mildred.
When we brought her home, she became best friends and a companion for Rusty.
Mildred had us completely wrapped around her little paws from the very beginning. We were her servants really, and we didn’t mind at all.
When we started our business in 2010, she became the boss of Ace Pet Services and
every new guest dog that came into the business had to go through what we called the “Millie test.” 😊
If Mildred gave her approval, the dog passed the test and was welcome into the Ace Pet Services family. And it always worked — we trusted her completely.
All of the dogs at Ace Pet Services seemed to understand exactly who she was. Even though she was the tiniest dog, she demanded respect! When we opened the gate, it was like Moses parting the sea — all the dogs would step aside to let Mildred through. She absolutely adored being with all the dogs running, chasing and playing.
She always bullied us for food or treats. If we weren’t fast enough, she’d scratch at our legs and somehow manage to get her little nails tangled in our shoelaces — and then we knew we definitely had to hurry up.
Sometimes we had to resort to standing in our socks!
She had a bed in every room of the house and moved between them like she owned the place, because she did.
Winter evenings in most homes are probably spent beside a crackling fire, but Mildred had other ideas. She was frightened of the sound of the fire, so for years we didn’t light it at all. We put on extra layers and blankets instead, because keeping her comfortable mattered more than anything.
As she grew older and her hearing faded, she was finally content to enjoy the warmth of the fire.
When Mildred was around fourteen, we discovered she had cataracts and her sight began to fade. One of the best decisions we ever made for her was to give her cataract surgery and with this we gave her a new lease of life. With her new lenses, she could see clearly again, and she was back running through the grass with the other dogs, full of confidence and joy.
Watching her regain that freedom was one of the greatest gifts we could ever have given her.
During the sixteen and a half years Mildred was with us, we went through both sad and happy times, and she was the constant through all of it. She was always there for us — comforting us, licking away tears in sadness, and sharing in our happiness too.
In her later years, she especially loved sitting in the vegetable garden while we were sowing seeds, lying on the warm soil in the sun, completely content.
Her special friends were Honey, and Phoebe, always barking and racing up and down the hall together.
Some of our happiest memories are of Mildred and Rusty running through the dunes in Inchydoney. Racing from the beach into the dunes, completely free and happy. You could see their happiness in their smiles.
We built our lives around them, and their happiness was our happiness.
One thing we always promised Mildred, and each other, was that when the time came, we would make sure she was not in any discomfort or pain, and that we would know the right time to let her go.
And in the end, Mildred told us. We knew by looking at her that it was time.
In recent months especially, caring for her was not just important — it was everything. That is the time when they need us most, and we were so lucky to have that time with her.
She shaped the rhythm of our entire life♡
Sixteen and a half years is a lifetime of love, routines, comfort, companionship, and tiny moments woven into everyday life.
We are absolutely lost without our little girl. Every single thing reminds us of her and she has left a massive void in our lives.
Our hearts are truly broken.
After all, she was our baby.
Thank you little Mildred for giving us so many beautiful years
We would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support at this difficult time. Especially all at Hawkfield Vets and The Eyevet.
