In 2023, a very sad and hopeless 14 year old dog named Charlie appeared in the Vic Dog Rescue foster/adoption email. He was in urgent need of a foster home. A Vic Dog Rescue assessor described him as “close to death”. There was something about poor Charlie, huddling alone in his bare kennel, that made my heart ache.

The following day, I met a dirty, malnourished, neglected, and broken dog. Charlie’s walk was stiff and hunched over. At just 3.4 kg, I was horrified to learn that he had spent his life alone in a kennel, without warmth or even a blanket for comfort. He needed extensive veterinary care, including the full extraction of his rotting teeth… and a bath!

That evening, I prepared for Charlie to struggle with sleeping in the new, open environment of my bedroom. I set up a dog crate, filled it with blankets, and covered it to create a safe space for him. I also gave him the option of sleeping under my dressing gown, in a soft new doggie bed. The crate remained untouched. Within days, I knew I had to adopt Charlie.

With time, love, and medical care, Charlie transformed. His appetite grew and the lacklustre grey markings on his coat turned a shiny black. He ran around like a puppy and discovered that the warmest place to sleep was under the doona.

Charlie thrived in his new life, enjoying home-cooked meals, long walks in nature, and the companionship of his adopted brother, Austin.

Last week, after a short but brave battle, little Charlie passed away peacefully in my arms. He is now buried in the front garden, under my bedroom window – his forever home, where his memory will always remain.