A DYING dog has had a final week to remember after the community rallied round to spoil him with gifts.

Biscuits, éclairs and steaks were all given to German shepherd Kofi after owner Fiona Gilmore made the difficult decision to see him put down.

The pet, who had been part of Fiona’s life for more than a decade, had a gracilis contracture, which impacted upon his walking and weakened his legs.

Fiona decided to put together a range of activities, including a barbecue, a walk on the beach and a visit to Dunbar Garden Centre for Kofi in his final few days.

East Lothian Courier: Kofi was given a memorable farewell, including a trip to Dunbar Garden Centre.

A post on social media highlighted that she would be visiting the business off Spott Road, with people flocking along to see the handsome boy.

Fiona said: “When I got to the garden centre, there were people almost everywhere I turned that had come to see him.

“They had bought him biscuits, one person had got him a pack of éclairs and somebody who could not be there had hidden a present for him behind the potatoes.

“The garden centre staff came and bought him a bag of biscuits as well.

“I held it together OK but a few people started crying, which was quite difficult and they were cuddling him.”

East Lothian Courier: Visitors to Dunbar Garden Centre ensured Kofi was given a memorable send-off.

As well as the trip to the garden centre, Kofi, who was 11-and-a-half, enjoyed a number of other treats.

Fiona, who previously lived in Alaska and Italy, said: “He had a little party in the garden on the Friday.

“Obviously, it was Covid-restricted so it was not very big but he had a barbecue.

“He had a lot of little things, like toast every morning.

“He had toast with something different on it – one morning he had duck, then cream cheese and salmon.

“I spoilt him with food he liked and a few of his favourite walks, and a few new toys.”

East Lothian Courier: Fiona Gilmore spoiled Kofi with a number of treats in his last week.

Fiona is a professional dog walker and trainer in Dunbar, running Paw Skills, and was joined each day by Kofi and his little brother Novak on their walks.

Fiona, 46, described Kofi as “a helpful dog”.

She told the Courier: “He kept everybody in check and all the other dogs always behaved.

“He made sure everything was fair and if I dropped a poo bag he would stop and stand to tell me it was there.

“He used to find my car keys or if I dropped a lead he would go back and pick it up for me.

“He has left a bit of a hole.”

East Lothian Courier: Kofi loved being at the beach.

When Kofi had a final trip to the vet in Galashiels, he was given one last treat: a game of man trailing, where he was given the scent of someone and had to find them.

Fiona, who recently moved from Dunbar to near Grantshouse, said she had to take the decision “to let him go” when he was not sleeping well and was up during the night.

She said: “The vets said that was probably down to pain in his legs, which were just getting weaker.

East Lothian Courier: Kofi was given a farewell to remember, including getting to sample many of his favourite things.

“I had to take that decision then to let him go.

“I did not want to wait until he had no joy left in his life at all.

“We had a last week of doing lots of things he liked and one of the things he liked was going round Dunbar Garden Centre and saying hello to people.”