A dog that had been rescued from the 'kill centre' of Cyprus died after being scared to death by fireworks. Bronson's owner Maxine Williams is now calling for restrictions on firework displays.
The dog bolted during a fireworks display, but after a search that involved friends, family and complete strangers, he was found dead in a ditch two days later.
The pub landlady, who runs the Crown and Liver in Ewloe, Flintshire, said her heart was "broken". “He was everything to me," she told NorthWalesLive. "He lived like a lord but he was kind and gentle. People who met him always said how special he was.”
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Bronson had been impounded on the back streets of Limassol, Cyprus, and was destined for a destruction centre when he was rescued by local charity, Cyprus Pride House. He came to Wales six years ago after Maxine felt compelled to take him after seeing pictures of a dog that was emaciated, downcast and close to death.
She paid £350 for the flight and drove down to Heathrow to collect him off the plane. “He was shy and quiet,” she said. “But when we got home, he soon began to gain confidence.”
The owner and her pure-bred Segugio Italiano dog formed an unbreakable bond. Each night Maxine tucked Bronson into her bed and snuggled up to him. Each morning she’d fetch up two coffees: one for her, one for him. Milky and sugared, in matching mugs. “He always insisted,” she sighed.
She said he was happy, but was always scared around Bonfire Night. “Bronson was always terrified by the bangs,” said Maxine. “He’d tremble from head to toe and I’d have to support him through the evening.”
As this year’s Bonfire Night fell on a Saturday, Maxine booked the night off from the pub to be with Bronson at her home in Sandycroft, Flintshire. Instead, she worked the Friday shift – and she never saw her beloved friend again.
“That night I arrived home and the patio door was open,” she said. “Bronson was nowhere to be seen and I thought someone might have taken him.” Frantic with worry, she pieced together what had happened with the help of friends and neighbours. A teatime fireworks display had spooked Bronson. He’d opened a lounge door, pressed down the patio door handle and leapt over a 6ft garden fence.
Motorists had spotted him running along a road toward the Airbus complex. They’d tried to stop, to catch him, but traffic was backing up and by then Bronson had disappeared across farmland into woods. Maxine posted an appeal on Facebook and shared it everywhere. Friends, family and well-wishers joined the search. But Maxine began to lose heart. “I knew,” she said. “I wanted to believe but I had this feeling he was already gone.”
That night, at 10pm, she received a phone call. “Is that Maxine?” said the caller. “Have you lost a ginger-haired dog?” Her heart leapt. “He wanted a finder’s fee,” said Maxine. “Luckily I’d been warned by Lost Dogs that a man was reading the appeals and blackmailing owners. Had I not known, I probably would have paid, I was that desperate. Instead, I put the phone down. I don’t know how anyone could be so cruel.”
The call she was dreading came the following morning. Bronson had been found in a ditch between Penyffordd and Dobshill five miles away. He appeared to have been hit by a car. “I couldn’t bear to see him like that,” she said. “So I asked my daughter to take him to the crematorium. I was so upset I couldn’t go to work for two days. I just couldn’t cope. Even now I carry so much guilt around. Could I have done anything differently? Probably, but it’s easy to say that now. I can’t be at home all the time, I have to work.
“People who don’t have dogs perhaps don’t realise the bond owners can have with them. I’ve always had dogs but he was just special. He was my baby. My Yorkshire Terrier died earlier this year. I was upset but she was aged 17 and I could deal with that. This was different.”
As a young grandmother, Maxine said she appreciated the sense of wonder her grandchildren saw in fireworks, and she didn’t want to deprive them. But she said Bonfire Night had long since stopped being a one-night celebration.
“I’m not saying this because of what has happened,” she said. “But it’s got too much. Fireworks now start weeks before November 5 and often continue for days afterward. If they went off just one night, at least owners of affected dogs would know when to be available to give them support.”
To keep Bronson company, after losing her Yorkie, Maxine bought Bobby-Joe, a Chorkie (Chihuahua x Yorkie). He’s now keeping her company as she grieves for her lost friend. She added: “What did help me was the kindness of friends, neighbours and strangers who looked for Bronson and sent messages of support. The lady who found him was lovely and everyone has been so fabulous. I’d like to thank them all.”
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