Park is ‘very empty’, says ex-BBC man as Cabbage the collie dies
FOR a brief moment Cabbage was the most famous collie in the country as her theft last November prompted a social media sensation that eventually led to her recovery.
But now Cabbage has taken her last walk, dying at the age of 15 after a short illness. Rory Cellan-Jones, her owner, the former BBC technology correspondent, announced the death yesterday, saying that his family have “had to say goodbye” to their “lovely, energetic” Cabbage.
The 64-year-old told his 197,000 Twitter followers: “She was a lovely, energetic and really smart member of our family. It was time for her to go but we miss her so much.”
Cabbage suffered a bout of gastroenteritis a few weeks ago and had spent some time in “doggy hospital”.
“She was already quite frail, and she was struggling to get up, which is just not good... and we just thought she’s not got any quality of life, it was tragic,” said Cellan-Jones.
Cellan-Jones regularly documented their early-morning walks on Twitter and on Friday morning he shared a final picture, writing: “Home after a gentle stroll”.
The theft of Cabbage and five other dogs last year, after their walker left his van’s engine running with the key in the ignition in west London, led to a concerted effort by social media users to find the missing animal.
Cellan-Jones wrote at the time: “Something terrible has happened. Our dog walker’s van with our dog Cabbage in it has been stolen while he was picking up another pet... Please look out for a black Ford Transit.”
The resulting social media furore prompted Ford’s press office to get in touch to alert the dog walker that the van had a feature which allowed drivers to track the vehicle through an app. As a result the vehicle was found.
Now Cabbage’s loss is being mourned. Dan Walker, a BBC Breakfast host, and broadcaster Sophie Raworth offered their condolences, with Raworth saying that she had “loved Cabbage’s adventures”.
Thanking everyone for their messages Clellan-Jones said: “This morning I went out as normal but the park seemed very empty.”