Desmond
20th February 2026
Some don’t make it home. Today we lost little Staffy Desmond.
Poor little Desmond. He has seen, and witnessed things that no living thing should have to be exposed to.
He came to us traumatised and shut down, with his trust in humans completely gone. He maintained a large personal space. Healing the external signs was the easy part, his skin improved, his coat grew back, he put on weight. But the trust in humans was another matter. He grew to love playing fetch with a tennis ball, and the ball became his comforter. Never destroyed, it was always close to him, and he carried it everywhere. He would play forever, and it became his joy. Little by little his eyes rose to meet ours, albeit briefly to start with. He was a strong, independent little character. One favoured handler was briefly allowed a tummy rub. A few others were able to get closer to him. Small steps, but we always hoped.
Interested parties came and went, but Desmond didn’t behave like a typical staffy. The funloving, boisterous need for affection, cuddles and licks remained well hidden, although we suspected it was there somewhere. ‘Too much’, ‘too damaged’, ‘too much of a responsibility’, ‘not what we were looking for’. Desmond never found a loving home of his own.
He settled into a routine, comfortable in the safe, secure familiarity he found here. He enjoyed his food, and made short work of his Christmas dinner last year.
We noticed some weight loss, his shape showing subtle changes. His appetite remained as keen as ever. His eyes were a little cloudy, but then, he was an old dog now. Then it started to accelerate. Signs of dementia and anxiety showing. Desmond was a difficult dog to handle, he would bite if he thought you were going further than he was comfortable with, but in spite of that off we went to the vet. Desmond was not happy, he was terrified, threatening, extreme in his terror. He started on meds for anxiety, which initially seemed to help him. Suddenly everything accelerated. We adjusted his routine, gave him extra everything, but cards were on the table. Although all his bodily functions were still fine, Desmond’s quality of life had evaporated. His eyesight failed, coordination faltered, and something we’d not seen before- he was in pain, confused and distressed. His ball, no longer of interest, lay untouched. Our vet had suspected a possible tumour, now it was clear, and today, we helped Desmond find peace. Rest easy, sweet boy. Life can be so harsh.
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