Adventurous dog dies after illness

Basil, a fox terrier, passed away on Wednesday (December 13) after a short illness, aged 16 and a half.

The beloved pet attracted attention in July 2016 when he travelled the width of the UK with his owner, Michael Carter. The pair, from Camber, covered more than 190 miles, from the sea cliffs of St Bees on the Irish Sea to the fishing village of Robin Hood Bay on the North Sea.

Michael said: “Very sadly, Basil died on Wednesday after a short illness at the age of 16 and a half. He had a wonderful life and enriched mine beyond measure.”

Posting two heartwarming pictures of Basil, Michael added: “I have included the last pictures we took of him.

“One of him getting ready to go out to the wonderful Rye Christmas Festival and another with me as we came out of the carol service at the end of the day.

“We will treasure all our memories of him and are grateful we had this fantastic day just before he died.”

Michael and Basil went through a lot during their time together – Michael had both hips replaced after an accident a few years ago, and shortly afterwards, Basil had to have both his eyes removed after developing glaucoma.

But that didn’t stop them going on many an adventure, including the coast to coast walk, which they completed in 16 days, raising more than £6,500 for ‘their favourite charity’, the Dogs Trust.

While Michael walked the entire route, Basil spent parts of the journey being carried in a customised rucksack.

Speaking ahead of the walk last year, Michael said: “I have learned a lot from him about what it is to be a dog, but I have learned so much more about what it is to be human, like fearlessness, loyalty, tenacity but most of all love, and in the world we live in today that’s something I think we all need a little bit more of.”

Basil kept a dog blog during his travels, which can still be viewed at http://www.basilsadventure.com/.

For more information on the Dogs Trust, visit the charity’s website at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/.