On 30th April 2025, our Ayla crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was a rescue dog we took in when she was 7, and she’d had a very hard life; in fact, they found marks on her right leg from a wire snare. I saw her in a post and, since we were looking for a dog about the size of a German Shepherd, my husband told me we should adopt her, and that’s exactly what we did. She was very fearful when she first arrived, but she took to my husband straight away. He handled her settling-in process with such patience, letting her take her time. We already had two small dogs and three cats. She settled in well with our male dog, but my other female dog never really took to her because she was jealous of my husband, haha! But they never fought. Ayla was such a gentle soul, as good as gold; she’d whine for the cats and always loved them. Throughout the years we had her, we just gave her all the love we could; we spoilt her rotten. She had a great appetite, loved her water, and of course, had all her vet check-ups. Last year she started having seizures. The vet told us it could be a brain tumour, but we didn't manage to get the tests done. To be honest, she was a real old girl by then—she was 16 and quite a large dog. I don’t know how she lasted so long, but thinking about it, she felt so much love from us that I don’t think she wanted to leave. Her body was telling a different story, though; she was even struggling to breathe. Eventually, she had two seizures just a few hours apart. She had a rough night, so we called the out-of-hours vet who told us she was very poorly. With heavy hearts, we decided we had to help her on her way, and that's what happened. The moment they sedated her, she started snoring so loudly; it actually gave me a sense of relief because I knew I was doing the right thing. Then she passed. We decided to have her cremated. Our children didn't get to say goodbye because they were at school, but she went peacefully, surrounded by the love she should have had since she was a puppy. Even though it was the right thing to do, I still suffered so much after she left. Her absence and seeing the empty spot where her bed used to be broke my heart, and I cried for her constantly. That was until one night I dreamt of her, where I saw her looking young again, her coat a radiant brown, and she looked glowing. She told me not to cry for her anymore and that she was doing well. There were animals of all different colours around her, though I couldn't quite make them out. Since then, I’ve felt much calmer. Of course, I’m still sad she’s gone, but I feel more at peace now. We love you, our beautiful old girl, and I'm sure we'll meet again.
