Sadness at death of Basher, oldest ever spaniel at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary near Sheffield

But officials at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, Dinnington, near Sheffield, have told of their sadness after the death of one of Basher, one of two Springer Spaniels they only recently took into their care.

Staff at the centre say they made Basher’s last hours as comfortable as possible for him.

And now they say they are stepping up the search for a home for his 14 year old friend, who he had arrived with.

The sanctuary said in a statement last night: “Basher, was 19 years old. He was the oldest Spaniel we’ve ever seen at Thornberry. The poor boy was almost blind and had extremely wobbly legs. Our kennel team were looking after him as best they could, supporting him with supplements and pain medication, but due to his age and condition Basher started to go downhill very quickly.

"Knowing when to say goodbye is possibly the hardest part of pet ownership and in rescue it is just the same. We want a happy ending for every animal but sometimes no matter how much we try, we know we have to do the hardest and most responsible thing.

"Sadly, last Sunday we had to let Basher go.

“The team agreed with our vet’s advice and we made sure to make his last hours as comfortable as possible. Our Café staff cooked him an amazing dinner and our lovely vet Natalijia came in to see him. Basher then peacefully and quietly slipped away as a rainbow shone outside the window; a bit of brightness and colour on an otherwise miserable day."

They said losing Basher now left behind his best friend, Boris, a 14-year-old boy who they say loves nothing more than a good old scratch. He still enjoys his walks and ideally his home would be an easy commute from Thornberry so the centre can monitor his ongoing health. He will also require ongoing medication which Thornberry will pay for.

They are also appealing for any contributions towards Boris’s medical bills going forward.