Actors Sue Jameson and James Bolam adopted retriever Nora from Mayhew in 2015, sharing many happy times before she passed away last year. Here, Sue pays tribute to their lovely, loyal Nora.

On the 9^th of September 2015, Jim and I drove up to the Mayhew to collect two old dogs. One was a tiny Yorkie who’d been dumped nearby – and the other was Nora, a gorgeous elderly retriever whose owner had died. After all the official business, and all the hugs and thank yous were done, we put them in the car and set off home. Teddy the Yorkie was restless for the journey, but Nora curled up on her dog bed and went straight to sleep. She loved the car and was obviously used to heading out for walks in one. Every single time we passed our car in the drive she would stop by it and look hopeful!

She settled well, although we felt she sometimes looked at visitors as if she was checking for her old owner. But she was very easy to look after, eating well and sleeping most of the time – almost always in the kitchen doorway so we had to clamber over her! She soon discovered the fields and woods behind our house and loved to wander in the long grasses. She ate anything and everything we offered her, and occasionally things we’d offered her furry housemates too. The cats were not always amused!

We had nearly three and a half years with her loyal and gentle company, and it was only when, at 14 and a half, her old legs could no longer hold her up and painful arthritis had really set in that we knew it was time to let her go. It was very peaceful – our nice vet gave us a mild sedative for her. Nora was in the doorway as usual, all of us around her, and full of chicken slices and cookies as she left us.

Thank you, Mayhew, for a loving and gentle friend. It was a privilege to have her with us.