💔 When Love Isn’t Enough – Losing Hugo

Some posts are harder to write than others, and this sure as hell was one of them.

Hugo wasn’t just our dog. He was our gentle giant 🐾, our squishy-faced shadow who went everywhere with us. As soon as you put on your shoes 👟 or lifted your car keys 🔑, he was beside you, ready to go.

Hugo had been surrendered when his previous family could no longer care for him and we knew straight away he would have a forever home with us. 

He came to us needing love, stability, and support. And he gave us more than we ever could have imagined in return. 💞

He was goofy, soft, full of love, and always had a way of making us feel safe. He was also only 18 months old. So when we had to make the heartbreaking decision to help him over the rainbow bridge 🌈 just last week, it was even harder.

When he was diagnosed with severe hip and elbow dysplasia, we went all in. Bone broth 🍲. Green-lipped mussels. Turmeric paste. Krill oil. Salmon oil. A million different joint supplements along with hard-core pain meds 💊. We researched endlessly. Looked into hydrotherapy 🐶💦. Adjusted his diet and managed his pain as naturally and as best we could.

He wasn’t just on a care plan, he was the reason I built one. Every single thing I gave him was chosen with love and hope and occasionally we really thought it was helping.

But his body had other plans, we saw him getting stiffer, slower, and more uncomfortable. When his legs were routinely collapsing under him, we knew it was time. 😔

People say “you’ll know when it’s time.”and tbh I used to hate that phrase think how stupid it was. But they’re right. You do know. You know when they’re tired, you know when their joy starts slipping away and you know when the kindest thing you can do is the last thing you ever want to. 💔

We stayed with him until the very end told him how loved he was, kissed his big squishy face 🐶 and then suddenly the cottage felt way too quiet, even with all the other animals around. 😢

I’d give anything for him to be squashing me and taking up all the room in the bed again. 🕊️

The truth is, pet loss rips you apart in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been through it. They’re not just animals they’re  part of your family, your routine, your comfort, your whole world and when they go, a piece of you goes with them. 🐾

Hugo was only here for a short time but the impact he made on our lives was massive and he will never be forgotten.

So this one’s for Hugo….for every tail wag, every cuddle, every drooly grin and for the heartbreaking privilege of loving him, even if only for a short time.

✌🏼💜💫