Community says farewell to Connie the much loved Westie.

St Andrews Park community in Hornchurch paid their final farewell to Connie the Westie who was not only much loved in the area, but also quite a celebrity having survived a horrendous accident.

Sadly 15 year old Connie crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday, Tuesday November 1 leaving a huge hole in her family’s life. She had survived an accident several years ago leaving her paralysed and her family never really knowing what had happened on the fateful night.

Owners Jim and Joycee had left Connie for the night with a lady they knew and thought to be reputable. When they returned first thing the following morning to collect her, they found a horrendous scene. The house front door wide open, no one at home, broken glass and traces of blood all over the floor and no Connie to be seen. Owner Jim began to ask neighbours if they knew what had occurred in a desperate bid to find Connie. No one was able to offer any further news and the family were left distraught not knowing what had happened to their dog.

It was several hours after that a dog warden in the South Ockendon area contacted the family to say that they had found Connie but she was unable to walk and needed to be seen by a vet.

It is believed Connie fled the house in fear and ran off where she was found by the roadside cold and wet in the middle of the night by a man who had finished working in Lakeside and stopped to collect her and take her home. He had dried her off and looked after her, contacting the dog warden.

Connie was then bought back to her family who were asked by the vet if the wanted undertake a long journey of recovery or put her to sleep. The vet informed the family that her injuries were those that occur after being hit by a car. Connie being a little fighter, did not give up and Jim and Joycee never gave up on her and she began her path to learning how to walk again. She underwent months of surgery on her broken hip and many weeks of hydrotherapy to get her slowly walking.

At St Andrews Park, Connie and her journey to recovery became quite a legend with everyone in the area knowing her story and watching her incredible fighting spirit and slowly learning to walk again.

She made it and once again was able to enjoy her time at the park with all her other doggie friends for many more years.

Her recovery was amazing and she really was a local legend. Everyone knew the beautiful white Westie proudly wearing her little bow known as Connie.

Connie, you will be sorely missed by your doggie friends and their owners and of course by your family,who will never recover from losing you and will always have you in their hearts.