Shadow and I first met at the RSPCA in Brisbane, Australia. He was the sickly puppy sitting on the concrete in the middle of the pen while all the others rushed up to be picked. He came home because I thought if he had to die, he would be better off dying in his own home. Bobcat and Claudius greeting him with fists so he soon learned that cats rule and dogs obey.

We would go for walks down to Stones Corner for a coffee where he was cafe-trained and loved meeting new people who stopped to make a fuss of the nice obedient big black dog.

When we moved to New Zealand he had to relinquish his wading pool full of balls and learn to live with the colder weather. We would go to the big dog park on the Port Hills where he could run with other dogs and meet new friends. We went to the West Coast and explored beaches, mossy paths and new streets.

When I moved to the UK he had to stay in New Zealand for six months, so opted to bludge off a friend whose sheep station was his idea of paradise.

The paved streets of Chatham must have come as a bit of a shock, but we found new mossy paths, walked to the Great Line Park, to Rainham, along the cliffs and up to Chester where we collected Smidgen (and he got his nose boxed by Smidgen's mum).

Home to Tasmania two years later and he lived in the caravan with Esther, Smidgen and me - loafing on the front lawn to the great admiration of passers by - surely he will run out since you have no fence! Said they. But not my puppy.

Two years ago he woke on Christmas morning unable to move, and spent the day with the emergency vet who was full of gloom and foreboding. So we went to the Dogs Home and chose a new friend. Sebastian worked his own special magic and soon Shadow was joining us on our four kilometre walks, enjoying life and chasing hares once more.

But all things wear off in time, and this last week he has been slow, having trouble standing and getting breathless with no exertion. The vet came this morning and he went to sleep in my arms as I sat on the floor beside him. She was good enough to come back an hour later which gave us all time to spend with our friend as he started his last big adventure.

Beloved boy, Some day I will catch up with you at the Rainbow Bridge and we can go on our last big adventure together.