Man who lost husband to cancer says rescue dog gives him courage to carry on

dailyrecord.co.uk:

When Nic Preston adopted 11-month-old terrier Teddy in early 2021, he had no idea the role his dog would come to play in his life.Tragically, less than a year after bringing Teddy home, Nic would find himself a widower, after losing his husband Neil to cancer on Boxing Day.

Since then Teddy has become Nic’s loyal companion as he navigates his new life without Neil.“I really don’t know how I’d have coped without Teddy,” says Nic, 40, who lives in Codsall, South Staffordshire “He is my best friend, my comfort and my reason to get up in the morning.

He’s given me the courage and confidence to believe I can carry on and forge a good life.”Nic and Neil, who were together for 21 years, adopted rescue dog Teddy from the Manchester & Cheshire Dogs Home.“He was a lockdown puppy who’d been given up, and had some challenging behaviours, but we knew that with time and love, and some proper training, we could help him,” says Nic. “He thrived in our care and soon became an incredibly affectionate bundle of love, with endless energy.

We were besotted with him.”Neil was diagnosed with cancer in November 2021, aged 48, and just six weeks later died in a hospice.“It was so fast and traumatic, but what really helped both of us during those weeks was having Teddy around,” says Nic. “He was allowed to visit Neil in the hospice, and instead of running around like he normally does, he was very calm, cuddling up to him in bed and licking his arm.