Bonzo

2011 - 2025

A note from Bonzo's Humans

To all of Bonzo’s buddies, old and new, near and far.As an old dog slows down, the beauty of their life shines through in new ways.The older he became the more Bonzo seemed to relish a world of scents us humans can never experience in quite the same way as a dog. Paths that we would stride along in his younger days - or run together - instead became what we thought of as our Slow-Ways: trails to luxuriate in the moment. Bonzo would pause for long minutes to appreciate a smell and we'd wait for him to trot back to us, his tail wagging, looking thrilled by what he'd discovered.It was one of the many gifts he gave us.In sharing that rhythm, we found the magic in slowing down to appreciate familiar environments in new ways. While he sniffed, we would notice something we might otherwise have missed: the blossom about to burst into flower or the slowly changing colours of the sunset over the water.His immersion in the possibilities of the present was also the secret of his special talent: making friends.Even on one of his very last walks he was finding new buddies - an unsuspecting chap, just out for his evening stroll, who Bonzo somehow charmed with a look and ended up snuggling.It was an art form for Bonzo.His strategy was not the boundingly enthusiastic greeting beloved by many dogs. Instead, he deployed the cheeky smile, a little wag of his tail and a slow wander over to introduce himself. For all its subtlety, it was devastatingly effective. His ability to convince total strangers that he was, indeed, the long lost friend they never knew they needed was a magical thing to watch.No matter how many times we had seen this, we realise now that we hadn’t fully appreciated just how many people he'd touched in this way, both in the places he physically spent his days and online among the thousands of people all over the globe who followed his story on Bonzo's World.The hundreds of messages people have sent us since he passed away have been a beautiful - and extraordinary - reminder of all those wonderful connections Bonzo made in his lifetime.One of the things we're so very grateful for is that aura of love Bonzo got to experience all around him.It meant he lived his life with an open-heartedness where he saw everyone as a potential friend and would happily settle into any new group of humans he found himself spending time with. As a result, he enjoyed a huge, extended family of neighbours, colleagues, friends and relations with whom he would stay if we were travelling, or just hang out for a day while we were at work.By sharing his story on Bonzo's World, we are ourselves blessed to have a wealth of photos and videos to remember him by. It is a wonderful thing to be able to scroll back and see him again as a young dog.He had, from the beginning, a Labrador's love of water. From a puppy, he would sit on the beach and watch us go into the sea. The moment we dipped our shoulders under, he would charge into the water and swim out to join us.As dogs age, it is easy to forget that bottomless well of vibrant energy they have in their early years. We would hear him thundering down the beach and turn around to see him swimming through big, crashing waves to reach us - convinced, no doubt, that his duty was to serve as lifeguard for his reckless humans.He loved to be in the kayak, where he would settle down between your legs, rest his chin on the side of the boat and relish drifting around the creeks. He was strong enough to take-up the boat's painter in his mouth and tow us, or drag the kayak up the beach when we reached the shore.For him it was, perhaps, just another type of retrieving - and that was an instinct which ran deep in his soul.Balls, frisbees...whatever you could throw...he would bring back and place gently in your hand with such delicacy and earnest dedication that it melted our hearts pretty much every time. He did it from the first moment we rolled a ball for him in the garden.He might just be the only Labrador ever to have brought his humans a pork pie he discovered by chance while walking on the beach. It had presumably been left behind after someone’s picnic, and instead of scoffing it whole as only a Lab knows how, we looked down - and there he was - carrying the pie gently in his chops, gazing up at us to see if we would like to share in this most precious of dog treasures.We used to jokingly call him 'Eco Dog' because of the sheer quantity of discarded balls, bottles and plastic waste he brought back from his coastal walks to be recycled.This was a dog who would leap, from standing, onto a bale of hay as tall as a man. He would swim against the current of the strongest spring tides and bound over wide creeks, all the while looking back to see if his humans were suitably impressed.But for all his physical vitality, Bonzo's greatest strength was his gentle spirit.Tucked up in his bed at home after a long walk or a day on the water, he exuded a kind of calm energy which warmed the house as he snoozed or just rested his chops as he watched his humans go about their days.He seemed to sense the soul of whomever he was with and what they needed.We would watch as he'd transform from a dog with boundless energy on a walk to the pub, to a teddy bear of a creature who'd settle down in a corner of the bar, and lie there happily while children he'd never met before would come over to stroke his tummy. Parents seemed to pick up on his innate calmness and we lost track of the number of people who approached us to explain their children were a little afraid of dogs and to ask if it would be okay for them to pet Bonzo. He ended up going on several school visits to spend the day among classes of young children to help introduce them to dogs.He had that same vibe around those who were less physically able or folks who were having a bad day or someone who needed a shoulder to cry on. Many years ago, waiting outside a shop, an elderly man came over to say hello to Bonzo. He'd lost his own dog a year or so before. Bonzo sat with him, heart to heart, and when the man had finished snuggling him, he turned to us and said slowly: "You'll never have another dog as good as this one..."Of the many things sharing our lives with Bonzo has taught us, it is his belief that a life lived in open-hearted gentleness - where everyone is potentially your next great friend and every day may hold a beautiful new moment - which will glow in our memories and remain forever #bonzowise long after he's gone.There are simply too many people to name everyone individually here, but we hope you all know - from the bottom of our hearts - how thankful we are to all of you - online and in person - who have been part of Bonzo's charmed life.Bonzo was born on 9th May 2011 and passed away, peacefully, at home in his own bed, surrounded by love, on 2nd April 2025. He was still enjoying walking the coast and marsh he cherished, bumping into his friends in the neighbourhood along the way, until just a few days before he died.Love,The Humans
(Marek & Michelle)

P.s. Although we are unlikely to post there regularly, the Bonzo's World Instagram account won't be going anywhere. We hope people will continue to enjoy it as a storybook of a dog's life well lived. You can find us over on our North Sea Living Instagram if you'd like to stay in touch.P.p.s. Those of you who have followed so closely the many quirks of the Bonzo's World plot lines may wish to know that he left behind a Last Will & Testament.It contained clear instructions.The bulk of his estate, consisting of a vast fortune of tennis balls - some luxuriously appointed with finest marsh mud - he wished to be donated to charities so they might enrich the lives of other animals. Similarly, he asked that we support his entourage of Bears - many of whom he met first as refugees on the road and welcomed into his bed - as they relocate to new forever homes, with other dogs who may need friendship.Bonzo also left behind two sealed letters. One was addressed to Georgie; the other, to Puffin.It is not for us to read them, since sadly both Georgie and Puffin preceded Bonzo across the Rainbow Bridge. However, we couldn't help but catch a glimpse through their openings. One of the letters begins: "It was so a date!" The other, simply says "Oh, hey buddy..."We'll leave it up to you to guess which letter was which, and for Bonzo to search out his many furiends again in the next life.Chester the Bear, who as you know was Bonzo's closest confidante, has agreed to remain with the household and manage Bonzo's estate. Who knows, perhaps one day - some time from now - he may be called upon to guide another set of paws as they find their way in Bonzo's World?