Hawkeye’s Last Day – January 1999

January 1999, Luna Park, Melbourne

This is the second and final strip of photos that I have with guide dog puppy, Hawkeye. (See previous post about him, here.) I am holding a tiny, pink cuddly toy that he slept with every night he was with me. He was such a gentle boy, he had never tried to rip it to shreds. He liked to suck on its ear and carry it about with him. The toy lasted less than 24 hours with the next puppy who had it.

Poor little Hawkeye never thrived and was often struggling to keep his food down. I had discussed his health many times with my puppy supervisor but it wasn’t until one of the other puppies from his litter was diagnosed with a serious congenital condition, that we realised how sick he was. There was nothing that could be done to help him, so at the age of 6 months my wee puppy, the first I’d ever had as my own, was put to sleep.

This photo was taken on the way to the veterinary hospital where I said goodbye to him. I had been crying for three days straight but still hoped to make this picture a last happy memento of my little friend’s life.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.