An East Lothian community of dog owners rallied together to get a memorial erected for a dog that suddenly passed away at just four-years-old.
Edinburgh Live spoke to devastated owner, Magda Nowak, 51, on the death of her beloved Borzoi, Losza, back in May 2022. At around 6pm on Sunday May 22, Losza began to howl and became unresponsive and later died of what was suspected to be a stroke or potential aneurysm.
The rescue pooch was only a member of the Musselburgh community for two years during his short life but managed to capture the hearts of many when out on walks with his playful and loving nature. One owner, who took the news of Losza’s passing particularly hard, was Karen Jane Brown, who Losza’s best friend Joey belongs to.
READ MORE: East Lothian dog owner's warning after young 'fit and healthy pet' dies suddenly
After discussing the passing of Losza with other dog walkers, Karen set about raising money for a memorial for the Borzoi. The dog loving community of Musselburgh was able to raise hundreds of pounds to have a plaque created.
They approached Magda and shared their plans but it was decided that it would be best for the memorial to have a dog watering station as part of the design. Following meetings with East Lothian council, a spot on a stone structure in the middle of the local promenade was set for the plaque and water bowls.
On the tribute and the kindness of the community, Magda, who works at Queen Margaret University said: “When Losza passed away I disappeared from the promenade for two weeks. I was devastated and could not do most normal things.
“I had to be signed off sick from work and was out of the loop with everything. But I received over 50 messages from people here in Musselburgh who remember Losza and even from people as far away as America.
“Two weeks passed and the owner (Karen) of Losza’s best friend (Joey) said they were also devastated and had gathered and talked about the loss. Within a fortnight they raised over £200.
“I really appreciated the idea but we decided that we did not want a simple plaque and instead thought it was a good idea to have water bowls by the memorial that his friends would be able to come and use. The memorial was erected on September 29 after the local council gave their blessing for it to proceed.
“It was added to an existing stone structure that is half way down the promenade in Musselburgh. All of us take turns filling up the water bowl but there is always fresh water there for the dogs.
“I would like to add that I never expected this, Losza is not the first dog to pass away suddenly, as so many contacted me to tell me of their loss under similar circumstances. I never ever thought that the sudden death of Losza would have such a big impact on the dog community in Musselburgh.
“It was amazing to see the tribute after he had been with us for just over two years and I feel it made me a stronger member of the community. We still talk about him but this shows me how people really love dogs here and that they really treat them as part of family life and the wider community.”
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