Sad news for fans of Jemma

Jemma aboard Princess Lucy

The greatest little boat dog in the world passed away this evening. Anyone who has owned a pet will know how it feels to face up to the fact that they are near the end of their lives. Seeing them struggling and knowing that there is nothing to be done is very hard. The kindest and bravest act is to put them to sleep but this is truly awful. You can keep putting this moment off but this morning we decided that Jem was in too much distress to carry on. She had trouble breathing, walking, sitting, seeing and hearing. All those ailments together add up to a miserable existence.

She has had the most fantastic life roaming the Peak District and in the past year exploring the canal network. She loved every minute of her life until it reached the point that she couldn't enjoy it anymore. We have no idea how old she was but we rescued her in 1999 and thought she might between 1 and 2 years old then. That would make her 15 or 16 - a terrific age for a canine.

Jemma with Lucy on 16th March

This is the last photograph of Jemma. It was taken this weekend when the real Princess Lucy came to stay. She is pottering about on the end of a leash quite happily with Lucy. A visit from our little angel was much appreciated. She was, as usual, very sweet and gentle with poor Jem . She understood that Jem was old and slow and couldn't see very well and was the perfect companion. It was lovely to see them together especially as we knew this would almost certainly be the last time Lucy would see Jemma.

We will carry her memory through this blog. It will always be Jemma's blog.