“My dad and I bought Tavish for my mum 21 years ago, when she was diagnosed with cancer.
We hoped that he might cheer her up while she underwent treatment.
It’s safe to say we got more than we bargained for.
Tavish was a typical Westie: a complete rebel and full of tenacity.
Whenever he had the opportunity, he would bolt out the front door and escape.
Tavish was no stranger to a police van
My parents had a house on the waterfront in Wormit, so my dad built a wall to stop Tavish from getting down to the river.
However, he always managed to find a way to get through it – we don’t know how he did it.
He was regularly picked up by the police in Wormit and brought home in the police van.
Tragically, after just eight months with Tavish, my mum died.
They bonded closely in that time and she loved him dearly.
My dad passed away shortly afterwards.
It was a difficult time. I still get emotional when I think about it.
Tavish came to live with me and my two daughters Christina and Rebecca, who are now 35 and 30, respectively.
We absolutely adored him.
Tavish had a stubborn streak too.
He would let me kiss him but would snarl if anyone else tried!
He used to love Sundays when we would cook a fry-up for breakfast and he would get his favourite treat: a sausage.
A few years later, we brought home Jackadoodle, Tilly.
She quickly became the boss (you know what us women are like) but Tavish just rolled over and let her do her thing.
They were the best of friends.
How did the family celebrate Tavish’s 20th birthday in Broughty Ferry?
Last July, we celebrated Tavish’s 20th birthday at home in Broughty Ferry.
It was thought he might be the oldest Westie in Scotland.
The average life expectancy of the breed is around 12-16 years.
It was an emotional day.
We blew up balloons, fed him sausages, and reflected on his life and everything he’s done.
And then we took him for a long walk – not that he thanked us for that!
Sadly, it was around this time that we lost Tilly, aged 14, to cancer.
We started to see a decline in Tavish.
He was very sad and missed her a lot.
He no longer wanted to go for walks, his sight was deteriorating and he wasn’t interested in much except food.
I bought a new puppy Pickles – another Jackadoodle – and hoped this would perk him up.
Tavish was like a little mentor for her.
Pickles adored him and would follow him everywhere.
He adored her too.
But his health continued to decline.
I thought, ‘I don’t want him to go through this’.
I asked the vet, ‘Is it time now?’, and she said, ‘Yes, Lynda’.
Tavish was euthanised aged 20
I made the difficult decision to have Tavish euthanised.
A year ago today – on October 21 2023 – I took him to the vet to be put down.
Before he was given the fatal injection, he was sedated.
My oldest daughter Christina decided this was finally her chance to give him a big kiss.
But he woke up and let out a snarl!
We had to laugh at that moment.
It was like his way of saying, ‘I know you are trying to kiss me and you’re not getting away with it!’
It was just like Tavish to get the last word in.”
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