Jairkingsly Labradors

We were all getting used to life as a family of four, which felt a bit like déjà vu. We started as four, then down to one, back to two, then seven, and finally four again! Poppy and Lottie were gradually adjusting to life without Tilly, except for one peculiar thing: the dog bed we bought last Christmas. Tilly had immediately claimed it as her own, and the girls were fine with that, even if Tilly wasn’t around, they never dared to use it. So, with Tilly now sadly gone, the bed was free for them to use, or so we thought! I swear Tilly must have cast some sort of spell on it because if either Poppy or Lottie tried to lie on it, they’d leap off like it was a bed of nails. It was quite amusing, and from that day on, they never touched it again.

I decided to honour Tilly’s memory by organising a dog show, and we needed a charity to benefit from the funds raised. After some research, we found The Animal Health Trust (AHT), a large national independent charity in the UK dedicated to studying and curing diseases in pets. We were fortunate enough to have enough space to host the event, so with social media posts asking for volunteers, cake makers, tombola gifts, and BBQ food, we were all set. Luckily, the event was a hit, aided by the weather being cool enough for the dogs but dry—because, let’s face it, the UK weather is always a bit of a gamble! Among the dogs and their owners who attended were Joe and Bailey, Lottie’s brothers, which made for a lovely little reunion. Unfortunately, Poppy missed out on meeting them, as she had taken it upon herself to be “mum” to all the dogs, so we had to take her home. The day was a success, and we raised over £500.

This felt like a fitting tribute to Tilly, even though she was never that keen on dogs! We’ve often laughed about that.

There have been many times when we’ve talked about Tilly. It took time for me, especially, to be able to do this, but now I can smile and laugh about some of her antics!

Of course, Poppy and Lottie remained the main focus of our lives, with more hugs and fusses than ever. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you should always hold them close—they’re not in our lives long enough 😢. 

So the next chapter for Poppy and Lottie begins.