Today is possibly the saddest day in DMfM history.

My dog Miles was put to sleep.

Regular readers will have heard of his exploits, and seen his picture many times over the years.

Less than two months ago, Miles had a medical check-up and was fine. Ten days or so ago, he was taken to the vet, with a large mass at the top of his leg. A few days later, it was diagnosed as cancer. Rather more worryingly, an aggressive cancer that had grown so big, in such a short time, that it was therefore going to be almost impossible to remove by surgery, or kill by chemotherapy.

The decision was made to let him live his remaining life out as best he could, using pain management to make him comfortable. My hope was that he might survive until the New Year, and I might even be able to go to Denver to say goodbye to him. However, over last weekend his condition worsened dramatically, and today, the decision to euthanise him was made.

I could write for pages on what Miles meant to me. We'd been through a lot together, and the past 18 months without him have been hell. Knowing that I would be getting him back in March was sometimes the only thing that kept me going. Now even that has been taken away from me.

I just can't write any more today, so instead, here is a final picture of my boy in happier times:

Miles 1999-2006 RIP