Bernard

Our much loved silver Labrador who protected us as an unconditional friend for twelve years. 

Bernie didn’t like travelling or going to the vets. Right from a pup he took an instant dislike to going into a surgery and the car. 

We were his entire world and his sole mission in life was to make sure we were safe. Nothing else mattered to him (other than food, walks, terrifying the postman, barking, sunbathing, emptying the bin, eating pears and cosy fires). 

Mark was a true blessing for Bernard and for us as a family. He was getting old and creaky and had started to decline both physically and mentally (Bernie not Mark!). 

As an owner it’s the most difficult decision to make to essentially end your friends life. You know they are in pain. Their life isn’t what is was. But when is the right time? And is that time for them or for you? 

Mark guided us through this. There was never going to be a right time. Not for us or for Bernie. Not an absolute exact 100% right time. But there could have been a wrong one by leaving it too late. I knew my dog and despite his love for us which was evident to the end I knew he wasn’t the dog he was. He still tried to be insane, high maintenance, over protective and jump up at everything! All of which we desperately miss in our lives without him. But he couldn’t. He was an old man. I hope we gave him the life he deserved. He gave us so much more than he ever knew. 

Mark came to our home and allowed us time and space to say our goodbyes to our dearest boy. It is without doubt the way Bernie would have wanted it to be. On his bed, with me holding his paw, my son and Nige both at his side. And because we had time to say goodbye we spent as much time as we could prior giving him constant attention, treats, sitting on the sofa, a million cuddles, a last walk and the time to say thank you to him for being there for us.  Precious final memories that were made possible by not leaving it too late. 

Mark gave Bernie a sedative in front of his much loved log burning stove, on his bed and gently went to sleep. No cars. No travelling anxiety. No clinical setting. Just Bernie and us, calm, content and at peace. The place he loved, with the people he loved. Peacefully and with dignity. 

It is still very raw and we are grieving terribly. But we know this was the best and kindest decision for our best and kindest friend. 

Thank you Mark. Your wisdom, experience and fair guidance will never be forgotten. You gave our boy peace in a way no other person could have. You were the only vet he ever liked.

Goodbye Bernie boy. We will miss you forever. 2010 - 2022 our protector, loyal and faithful love. 

Maybel and Lennox

I heard about Mark from my daughter's employer who had a cat that hates vet surgeries.

I was always certain that I would want Lennox at home when the time came. Mark paid us a visit to meet Lennox and to discuss how he thought Lennox was doing so that I could make the best informed decision about when to have him put to sleep.

When he came over he got straight down on the floor with Lennox who went straight to him and just leaned into him like an old friend. Mark has an aura of calm around him and it reassures all of the household. When the time came Mark reassured, explained everything and what to expect. Lennox never flinched and was so relaxed and it was the best send off we could have wished for my beautiful boy of 15 years 5mths. Lennox was taken by Mark to the pet crematorium and delivered his ashes and paw prints a few days later.We also had a card and forget me not seeds.

Thank you Mark
Rosemary Starkey

We recently had to call upon Mark once again for our Maybel's passing.

My gorgeous girl hadn't left my side since we lost Lennox 19mths previously but she went down hill so quickly. Mark came to our re

scue once again, he came straight over and took control and she passed quickly and peacefully at 15 yrs 5mths. Mark took a paw print for us as we decided to bury her ourselves. This man is an angel and we are so grateful to him and this unique service that he provides

Thank you Mark

Mr Wigglesworth

Life with Mr Wigglesworth was never dull, from disappearing down rabbit holes, chasing pheasants and joining a deer herd for 2.5 hours, he kept me on my toes. We had an amazing 15 years and 8 months worth of adventures and I have some brilliant memories of him and will miss him forever

We met Mark and his team in his final few weeks and as sad as losing him was, Mark and his team made it a lovely passing and I will be forever grateful for how caring they are all

Aidie

My little baby Aidie was with us for 15 years. She was a funny looking puppy but grew into her looks. She had the most gentle, beautiful nature.

She loved being outside in the sun or lying as close to the fire as possible. She had a toy bunny that she'd had from a puppy and whenever my son visited she used to go and fetch it. She loved spinach and carrots.

When the day finally arrived Mark came and was so thoughtful and caring. It made the ending as good as it could have been. I will miss her always.

Bailey

Our beautiful teddy bear Bailey. He loved cuddles and was such a loving and affectionate boy. He loved running in fields playing ball, splashing in the river and sleeping on the pouffe in front of our log fire.  He was permanently hungry and always under our feet but he made us laugh with his silly little ways.

Bailey had a tumour appear out of nowhere and at 13 1/2, old age had already started to settle in. Our priority was always to do what was best for Bailey and to ensure when he passed he went with the love and dignity he deserved. Mark came round to assess Bailey and talk us through the process and he made us feel so at ease, and we wasn’t afraid to ask what may have been silly questions.

I cannot thank Mark and the team enough for the support throughout. Bailey went peacefully at home on his pouffe with us both cuddling and kissing him every step of the way. We were able to send him away with letters, a rose and his favourite toy and when he came home from the crematorium the cards, seeds and paw print were just lovely touches and we felt that our boy had the best send off we could ask for.

We will love and miss you forever Bailey. Love Mumma, Daddy and your Brother Marley xxx

Maverick

Maverick.

Our lovely gently maverick.
He got to 17 years old, a real old gentleman.
He had a lovely life, eat, sleep and loved being outside especially when it was sunny.
A big thank you to mark, he was so kind and guided me through the whole process.
Maverick fell asleep forever on his favourite chair so peacefully.

Scampi

Scampi was such a special cat and we were so lucky to have him and love him for 19 years. I don't think he knew he was a cat, he never caught a bird or any other animal and he never damaged any carpets or furniture. He followed us everywhere and he was involved in everything we did at home from bath time, to board games and even sat with us at mealtimes. He was a vocal cat who would chat and meow constantly, our house feels so quiet and empty without him. When the children were born he became their best friend and he wanted to be with them all of the time. He knew when they were poorly and would always cuddle up to them and be a little less vocal with his meows. We will always miss him and he has left a huge hole in all of our hearts, he was such a special part of our family.

To be able to have him put to sleep so peacefully in his own home with all his family with him was so special. Mark was absolutely amazing throughout, he explained exactly what he was going to do and what would happen and he spent time with the children explaining the process to them so they understood what was happening at all times. What could have been a very traumatic experience for the children in what was their first experience of loss was actually very calm and very peaceful and a process the children were able to be there for and hold Scampi's paw as he calmly went to sleep for the last time. They have been able to process and deal with their grief as Mark kept them involved at all times and were able to be with Scampi until the end.

For this we are forever grateful and can't thank Mark enough. Scampi we will always love you and miss you

Oscar

Oscar, our handsome , gentle yet sometimes mischievous ‘Lassie’ collie had a wonderful long life, enjoying walks in the countryside around Empingham; latterly’pottering’ in the garden. He was 14 years old when we had to say goodbye to him.
However, if we hadn’t met Mark & Rebecca 3 years ago he would not have enjoyed his senior years as much as he did. He suffered from arthritis in his spine & we thought he hadn’t long to live. Mark suggested Canine Bowen Technique with Rebecca. After every monthly visit Oscar was much freer in his movement & clearly much more comfortable. Much to Rebecca’s amusement he always ‘told’ her exactly where he wanted to be & which part of his body needed attention!! A massive thank you to Rebecca for helping Oscar enjoy his senior years.
Eventually it became clear that he was no longer enjoying life , struggling with getting up etc. We can’t thank Mark enough for going beyond the call of duty, coming to our garden on a Saturday evening , where he,with the uttermost sensitivity, put Oscar to sleep. Our abiding memory is of Oscar finally at peace .

Emma

In September 2009, a puppy was born and she has chosen her family. She was so small she fitted into a cat cage on the ride to her new home. This little puppy becomes known as Emma. Throughout the years she runs away with our other dog Cookie at the time. Emma would sleep in my bed when I was sick or when she wanted a hug. Emma loved to eat Chinese pork balls when she was a puppy.

In 2019 Emma was diagnosed with cancer, the vet at the time stated she had 3 to 6 months to live. She proved us all wrong. Emma and her family moved to Ryhall, when in her new home, she made new games to play like ‘I am your shadow’ and ‘where you go I will go’ and her favourite game was to run and bark to the top gates of the driveway when other people were walking by.

Two half years ago Emma met her new friend Mark the vet, it was like love at first site for her. Mark given her 3 to 6 months to live but yet again she proved us all wrong. Emma turned out to be a miracle dog. The cancer was not stopping her.

Sadly on Saturday 18th June 2022, we had to say goodbye to Emma, she was only 12 years old.

As a family we would like to say a big thank you to Mark, in the caring way and with dignity and respect he has given her with every visit.

A dog choose their family.

Bella

Bella will be sadly missed by all family and friends. She was our baby girl from the day we got her. She was a very gentle and loving dog, often very aloof looking down her nose at other dogs she didn’t know. She was also a mucky dog looking for muddy puddles to walk through. In her younger days she liked agility. She wasn’t the fastest dog but was very careful and always got clear rounds.

Mark knew Bella from aged two and was the vet to diagnose her illness and prescribe the correct medication to ensure we could keep her for another ten years. Sadly Mark could not be there at the end but the vets he used were excellent. There was four of the family by her side until the end. He is the best vet we have ever known.

We would like to thank Mark, Rebecca and Shelley for all the help they provided near the end.

Lou Lou

Firstly, I want to thank you Mark so much for the very kind and gentle way you dealt with Lou Lou and all of us, at such an incredibly devastating time for us.

Lou Lou was 16 and a half, and believe me she enjoyed every single day. Lou Lou loved running around with her favourite orange squeaker, playing football, and running around with her old dog buddies Shadow and Jessy, before becoming an only dog in her older years. Lou Lou has always been a loving, gentle little soul, who spent most of her time sleeping in the middle on the bed, or on someones knee, Though sometimes her barking drove us all a little mad. Her favourite treat was a cuppa tea and biscuit and she had this at least twice a day

Lou Lou was loved beyond compare and will be dearly missed by all of us especially my mum and the kiddies. Lou Lou has been laid to rest in her own garden surrounded by trees, flowers and the birds where we can still see her from the kitchen window.

Once again I thank you very much xxx

Rachael Jackie and Bill

Selma

Another lovely tribute, this time from Selma's owners:

'We had to say goodbye to our lovely Selma in April, she was 14 years 6 months. We had 9 wonderful years with her and thank her previous owner so much for giving us the opportunity to have her in our lives. Selma was great at digging in the garden, never where you wanted the holes to be!!!! She was a great shredder of twigs as well. Selma thought anyone coming to the house, came to see her, out walking she would love having a fuss made of her, she was well known in our area, we didn't realise that until people would ask where she was. She made us smile, she gave us a reason to get out. Selma was such a great companion, and listener, never repeating anything you said . Selma is greatly missed by us both. Thank you Mark, Rebecca and Shelley for everything. Mark, thank you for the gentle way you had with Selma, it was lovely to be able to sit with her, talking to her, making a fuss of her as she went to her final sleep. It was so peaceful. We are lucky to have had you as her vet.'

We consider ourselves lucky to have been part of Selma's life.

Amy

"Amy our Golden Girl. She was our 4th Goldie. She came to us just before she was eight weeks old and sadly left us two weeks before her eleventh birthday.

She was every ones friend. She didn’t have a nasty bone in her body, although the local cats had to beware!

She wasn’t happy travelling so Mark was a Godsend to us.

As big as she was she was terrified if she heard a fly buzzing about and ran for cover. Mortally afraid of fireworks but didn’t bat an eyelid if there was a thunderstorm. She loved to watch helicopters pass over when she was in the garden.

Even the local DPD driver and the postmen stopped in the street to give her a treat.

She gave us so much love in the eleven years we had her.

We would like to say a big thank you to Mark for making her end gentle and peaceful she was in the house and went into her bed with her favourite toy and just went quietly to sleep."

Such kind words for a gentle soul.

Rest in peace Amy

Philly

Philly was just “the sweetest girl “

She was a typical crazy chocolate Labrador- she loved life and everything it contained. In her younger days she had very selective hearing especially off lead. She always came back when called – but usually in her own time- after sniffing every blade of grass and puddle.

She loved water and would jump in at every opportunity, her other passion was unfortunately fox poo- which she also rolled in whenever she could.

We miss her terribly, she enjoyed more than 13 lovely years with us – we have a mountain of precious memories with her.

Thank you Mark for everything – especially the peaceful way that she went to sleep in the sunshine – with us around her.

We look forward to you being our vet with the next doggy addition to our family

Bertie

Bertie was a bit of a troubled soul when we adopted him aged eight - he cried himself to sleep on our bed on his first night here. But he soon settled down and we had six wonderful and happy years together.

We were really worried that when it came to the end we would have to take Bertie to a vet and that maybe only one of us would be allowed to be with him. So we were so delighted when Mark came to us. Mark made the process very gentle and moving and completely unhurried. Bertie went to sleep with the three us stroking him, on his favourite sheepskin, in front of the log burner he adored. You would struggle to find a kinder more considerate person than Mark.

Liz and Ian

Poppy

Dear Mark
Our Poppy was a rescue from Ireland. She was about 10 months when we adopted her.
So scared and frightened of everyone and everything. She would shiver and shake in the corner, was car sick all the time. It took a couple of years before she trusted us completely but she was a beautiful soul. Never aggressive to people and not destructive in the home. She was our pretty adorable and , in the end, adoring dog.
We loved her totally.
Thank you so much for your help at the end of her life.
It is always so hard but being at home together in her own space made it so much easier for all of us.

Ruby

Good morning,

I just wanted to say a huge “Thank you” from Robert, Henry and I for the way you looked after our “little girlie” Ruby.

We couldn’t have asked for her to have been in better hands or to have had any better care, the kindness and support you’ve shown us all sets you way above others in your field.

Thank you Mark for bringing her home yesterday and to you all for the beautiful card and paw print, things we will treasure. The Forget me not seeds are also perfect and will be sown in one of her favourite spots, as you can see from the attached photo Henry is rather fond of these flowers too!

Thank you again and please carry on doing what you do as you do it so well, we count ourselves very lucky to have found you and to have you there to look after our four legged friends and family.

Love to you all

Robert, Lydia & Henry

Harvey

Harvey was our 1st family dog, a typically mad Springer Spaniel,who loved nothing more than being in the bushes or running.

He enjoyed his 15 years of active life with us, on many occasions out all weekend in woods,trees or fields. He was a loyal, sun loving, top dog.

Harvey's health was deteriorating and we knew we had to make that decision, from the first step on the phone to Sarah and the team it was nothing but care, compassion and understanding.

Harvey was in his bed asleep and Mark made it possible for him to peacefully just carry on sleeping. He guided us through it in an informative, but caring and gentle way.

This is one of the hardest things we have had to do, it was a very sad time, Harvey was a part of our lives that we had to say goodbye too. Whilst talking to Mark he reminded us about the good things Harvey had done for us, the joy he has given us, and that now we should try and remember that we are doing this for him in return.

Thank you all so very much for being kind, patient and caring, it really does make a difference.

RIP Harvs.

Sparkie

Sparkie loved life and food! He loved being by the sea; barking at the waves and digging in the sand! He also loved walks in the woods and playing fetch with a tennis ball, then curling up in front of the log fire. After a very short illness, at just over 15years old, he clearly needed additional care. This care was handled by the very kind, dedicated, compassionate and thoughtful Mark and his team. When the time came to say goodbye, Mark made the whole process so calm and gentle for Sparkie, whilst clarifying everything for us to support him which was so reassuring. Being able to experience this in our own home was enormously appreciated. Mark was so professional, didn’t rush in any way and truly made us all feel so serene and peaceful during this challenging time. I would highly recommend Mark.

Dudley

Dudley was my first dog and he was just dog when he came into my life.

However he transformed my view, I came to understand what a dog meant to those dog owners that tried to make me understand what they had.

He came into my life as a dog but left my life much more than just a dog….I didn’t own him on the end - he was a best friend.