‘My dog helped heal my broken heart’
I always thought my husband Phil and I would grow old together, but then, in the summer of 2013, when we were on holiday in South Africa, he got sick.
At first it was just an ear infection, but when he didn’t improve, he went to the doctor back at home and discovered he didn’t have enough red or white blood cells, so was struggling to fight the infection. Weeks later, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer, and was told it was terminal.
I was utterly distraught. We’d been married for 21 years and had two gorgeous sons, Jack and Ben. None of us could imagine life without him.
Over the next year, Phil’s health deteriorated, and when he passed away in May 2014, I felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world – especially as by then Jack and Ben were away at university.
Months passed and I was still in the thick of grief – some days I could hardly face getting out of bed, never mind leaving the house – so a friend suggested I get a dog. I’d never been a dog lover but knew the company would do me good.
I settled on a bichon-poodle cross (as they don’t moult), and went to see a breeder. As I gazed into the big, brown eyes of a puppy called Zuki, it was love at first sight.
Having an adorable puppy bouncing on me each morning meant I had to get up and out of the house. She became my constant companion, and as the months passed, I adjusted to life without Phil.
I was grieving and could hardly get out of bed – until a friend suggested I get a dog
One day, when I was visiting Ben in Manchester, I needed a dog-friendly hotel where Zuki and I could stay, and was amazed at how difficult it was to find one. It gave me an idea to set up a website rating hotels by how canine-friendly they are. My sons thought I was mad but soon Zuki and I were travelling the length of the country reviewing hotels on weekends.
It wasn’t just that I got to stay in lovely places – it gave me a purpose, especially as friends spent weekends with their husbands. Eventually I left my job running a recruitment company to work on the website full-time. I still missed Phil desperately but, for the first time, I felt a glimmer of excitement about the future.
I’d never given another man a second glance, but one day I was going to a party and needed a dog-sitter, and a friend of a friend, Glenn, offered to look after Zuki. She’s usually fussy about who looks after her so I was astonished to see her trotting off happily with him. I was relieved but a bit miffed that she had a new best friend.
Later, Glenn and I got chatting and I discovered he was single and worked as a business consultant. The more we spoke, the more I could see why Zuki liked him and soon we began dating. He proposed 18 months later and now we’re planning our wedding for February 2019, with Zuki taking pride of place at the ceremony.
Looking back, I can’t believe how far I’ve come. After Phil died, it was hard to imagine a happy future, but Zuki has transformed my life. She’s not only a faithful friend, she’s also helped me find love, happiness and a new career. She pulled me through my darkest hour.
As told to Elizabeth Archer
Hazel blogs at havedogcantravel.com
