In a deeply personal and moving account, columnist John MacLeod has shared the sudden and heartbreaking loss of his cherished Jack Russell terrier, Lulu, who died unexpectedly after a seizure.
A Peaceful Weekend Turns to Tragedy
The weekend had been a contented one for MacLeod and his two dogs, filled with walks and quiet evenings. On Monday morning, after Lulu's usual enthusiastic plea to go outside and a subsequent walk, her brother Rommel behaved oddly, persistently wanting to stay in the garden. MacLeod, needing to work on a big article, eventually let him stay out while Lulu settled for her nap.
While he was writing, Lulu began to convulse. She had experienced infrequent seizures since September 2023. MacLeod acted swiftly, placing her on the laminate floor to prevent injury. The fit seemed shorter and less violent than previous ones. After it subsided, he comforted her and returned to his work, expecting her to recover as usual within an hour.
It was roughly 40 minutes later that an unsettling silence prompted him to check on her. The moment he laid a hand on her still chest, he knew she was gone.
A Life of Character and Adventure
Rommel, a shaggy and stolid dog, had joined MacLeod's life as a puppy in May 2012. Lulu, from the same litter, arrived two years later after her previous owners moved to Spain. The two siblings reunited as if never parted, enjoying years of play and companionship, though their personalities were distinct.
Where Rommel was Churchillian, Lulu was regal and sleek, a Queen Nefertiti who established dominance from the start. She was fiercely possessive but the dogs got along beautifully outdoors. Lulu was a formidable escapologist, capable of leaping a 5ft wall with ease, a trait that required MacLeod to secure his garden thoroughly, especially during lambing season in their crofting community.
She formed a profound bond with MacLeod's father, staying by his side during his final illness and losing all interest in the room after he passed.
A Health Battle and Lasting Memories
In May 2020, during a lockdown walk through Edinburgh's deserted city centre, MacLeod believes Lulu may have contracted an illness. She later collapsed with GME (Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis), a severe canine meningitis. Her life was saved by a quick-witted vet's massive antibiotic dose, but she required lifelong steroid medication (prednisolone) and was never quite the same again.
Her athleticism waned, but her affectionate and bossy nature, and love for long walks, never dimmed. Their favourite walk was the Bragar machair on the Isle of Lewis, a stunning coastal landscape alive with wildflowers and birds.
It was there, on Tuesday afternoon, that John MacLeod laid Lulu to rest. He imagines her spirit, forever young and free from sickness, sprinting across that beloved ground. In his poignant farewell, he writes of a friend deeply missed, his eyes 'abrim' with the loss of his beautiful, beloved Lulu.
