Photo: Penny Grubb

R I P The Caped Crusader

The Week We Said Goodbye

A sad week. The inimitable Caped Crusader has left us after 15 years. Her health problems have been multiple recently. For a while, they could be treated enough to allow her to enjoy life, but at her age, they were not curable. The point arrived where the balance was going to tip from her enjoying life to enduring it.

The heartbreaking decision was made. The 8-year-old, in floods of tears, rushed round to break the news to us. It wasn’t unexpected, and it was the right decision, but it was hard to say goodbye to such a long-standing and loyal pack member.

The Caped Crusader has been with me since the start of my Medium journey …

[embed]The Caped Crusader — The Dog Nextdoor She’s Robin, I’m Batman. Every day we set out to save the world.medium.com

She lived life to the full, pursuing snacks as only a black Lab can. She made one of her first Medium appearances alongside a cake:

[embed]There’s No Need To Worry About The Last Cupcake medium.com

This became a theme. From the incident with the gravy boat …

[embed]Dreaming Of Good Gravy medium.com

… to her many tactics for acquiring raw eggs.

[embed]Raw Eggs Make The Coat Shine medium.com

At one stage, she recruited a 4-year-old ally in her quest for eggs.

[embed]Which Shiny Beauty Is For Me? medium.com

In our role as secret agents, the Caped Crusader and I shared many daredevil adventures …

[embed]Secret Agent On A Mission Following in the footsteps of the great French perfumiersmedium.com

… as we walked many miles together checking out the neighbourhood news.

[embed]Reading the Canine Chronicle medium.com

She has always been happy to make friends with anyone — human or animal …

[embed]No Sign Needed On This Gate medium.com

Even when she encountered open hostility; the time her pack leader was attacked by phone thieves in a wood — or serious breaches of canine etiquette; the time a visiting baby ate her food — she never showed a hint of aggression. Although, at times, she liked to pretend …

[embed]The Fiercest Dog In The World medium.com

From trick-or-treating to visiting royalty, we have explored the neighbourhood together over the past decade and a half. We are left with many Labrador-shaped gaps in our daily lives, and a stack of fond memories.

Rest In Peace

[embed]The One & Only — Caped Crusader medium.com

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