James Middleton shared a heartwarming tribute to his dog Ella as he bid “farewell” to the one who “saved” his life. Writing for The Telegraph, the Princess of Wales’ brother recalled some of the sweetest memories with the canine.
Ella had been by James’ side for 15 years, and was a companion he credited with “saving his life” when he was facing battles with depression.
Princess Kate’s brother took to social media to thank fans for their kind messages of support, while also penning a personal note.
It read: “As many of you know, Ella was a therapy dog with @petsastherapy_uk and I know first hand dogs don’t just change lives, they save lives.
“It would mean the world to me if you might consider donating to this amazing charity on behalf of Ella or perhaps even consider joining as a volunteer.
“Thank you @airwreckahyde for this wonderful little video of Ella, I still haven’t managed to watch it all the way through,” he continued, adding a heartbreak emoji to his caption.
Talking about the days, when the dog helped him to battle the depression, Mr Middleton wrote: “Ella helped me to learn, especially during my days of depression, that talking and sharing can be a powerful, healing thing.
“That’s why I felt I needed to let people know and, with tears in my eyes, I shared the news about her on Instagram.”
He continued how she was with him through the “darkest times.”
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“When I knew a therapy session was coming, I couldn’t face getting on the London Underground, so we would walk.
“Suddenly I would find myself outside the door and think: I’m here, so I might as well go in.’ She distracted me enough to get me through the door a number of times.
“She got me reading about therapy dogs and later we started volunteering for the charity Pets as Therapy.
“We would go to mental health centres and Ella made a difference just by being herself. She made people smile.”
From being with him the darkest of the times, Ella stayed during some happiest moments too, Mr Middleton shared.
He wrote: “When I got married, in September 2021, the happiest day, Ella was there again, wedged in between me and my wife, Alizée — sort of handing me over, I suppose.
“I met Alizée thanks to Ella, after she made a beeline for her in a restaurant. I wrote a little note, which Alizée still has. It was from Ella. It said something like: ‘Would you like to go for a drink and I’ll bring my friend James’.”
