MARLEY AND ME, AND HIS LAST ICE CREAM
Jeff delivers final treat to dying dog in his van
DOG owner Katie Dixon has been able to give her dying pooch a last ice cream – and hear his excited howl once more.
Marley has been diagnosed with cancer and heartbroken Katie knows she will have to make a decision to put him to sleep in the coming weeks.
But before she is forced to say that final goodbye, the mum-of-two has been able to give the loyal dog one of his favourite treats.
Such is the excitement Marley has for ice cream that he will howl at the jingle of the ice cream van when it arrives in her neighbourhood.
Katie, from North Staffordshire, issued a plea for one to drive by and let Marley enjoy one last cone.
Ice cream man Jeff Condliffe, from Wolstanton, answered the call – and excited boxer/labrador mix Marley ended up wolfing down four cones during his visit.
Jeff, aged 62, said: “I thought Marley is part of their family and they were really upset about what was happening to their dog. I thought if I could make them happy and the dog happy having his ice cream then it’s a job well done. I went down the street and he was up on the gate howling.
“They brought the dog down and there were quite a few people who had come to see it.”
Marley has been by 27-year-old Katie’s side for eight years – from sleeping on a friend’s sofa, to helping her through difficult times.
But last month, Katie noticed a lump in Marley’s mouth and the vets treated him for an abscess.
After two weeks, the eight-year-old dog was no better, and returned to the practice where Katie was told he had a tumour. He underwent an operation to remove as much as they could, but 12 days later, the tumour had returned. Katie added: “I’ll have to make a decision soon as he’s in pain and chewing his fur off his tail.”
Katie says she will be ‘forever grateful’ to Jeff for calling round.
She said: “Thank you so much to Jeff for letting me hear that howl one last time and thank you for making my pooch a very happy boy.”
Jeff, who has been in the ice cream trade since 1984, added: “It’s been one of the top moments in my career.”