Our darling Poppy has left us. We are broken hearted. It has been quite a journey from the neglected puppy I found wandering in July 2009.

Poppy has been a very special part of our lives, happily taking Michael for a walk each morning and evening come rain, hail or shine.

She would cheekily ask for any paper or cardboard if she saw us with it, take it into the lounge and rip it to pieces.

That habit stopped a couple of years ago but she still enjoyed running and jumping on her stuffed hippo, giving him a good shake and then summoning us with her eyes to join her on the floor for a much loved armpit tickle.

Four years ago she developed a dreadful autoimmune disease called pemphigus, her daily medication was something she learned to tolerate after a bumpy start with the aid of peanut butter.

One of the side effects of her medication was increased hair growth and she sported a delightful quiff that needed serious trimming for a while.

Over recent years, the hours snoozing between walks and meals had lengthened, she had plenty of comfy beds to choose from around  the house.

She never missed an opportunity between naps to explore the garden and just sit and contemplate her lot.

Poppy was diagnosed with arthritis in her lower spine a couple of months ago and started on anti-inflammatory drops. She refused to restrict her walks in the forest and it was impossible to deny her eager little face.

She was doing very well until Sunday evening when she declined her meal and again on Monday morning. Despite that, she still insisted on her long walk into the forest, Michael had no idea this would be the last photo of our Poppy when he captured her on video.

On her return, she rapidly became very stiff and had difficulty walking, no wagging tail and looking very sad. Obviously in a lot of pain, we managed to get a lunch time vet appointment. Faced with the option of strong pain killers which would render her heavily sedated for the remainder of her days, and after much deliberation, we chose the dignified option. She had lived her best life. At the age of 16, the sun has set on our sweet pea but she will never be far from our sides.