Farewell Dozer

I know there is controversy over whether an animal is worthy of an obituary. I think there is no doubt that if an animal has impacted your life in such a way that you mourn their death, then go right ahead and right that obit!

I mean, one of the world’s greatest obituary writers, Anne Wroe, famously wrote one for a carp named Benson who, despite being caught and released more than 50 times, eventually died of a “surfeit of tiger nuts”. And in 1932, one of my favourite writers, EB White, published a beautiful one for his dog Daisy who was hit by a yellow cab.

This week, fans of Recipe Tin Eats and the woman behind it, Nagi Maehashi, learned that her gorgeous golden retriever, Dozer, who joyfully appeared throughout her cookbooks, attended book launches and basically shadowed Nagi, had died at the age of 14. Nagi wrote this wonderful tribute to her faithful friend on her website.

It’s a reminder that pets, as much as humans, have a lasting legacy on our lives and for that reason, why shouldn’t they be remembered with an obituary?