METRO Police Inspector Jacques Fourie is heartbroken over the loss of his four-legged partner, Fancy, who died suddenly last month after being diagnosed with cancer.
The pain of losing yet another partner is something Fourie is familiar with. He made media headlines some years ago when he launched a fundraising drive to help save his dog, Kongo, who was diagnosed with a heart disease from which he eventually died in 2013. Fourie said after Kongo’s death, he hadn’t wanted another dog and didn’t want to touch another dog.
“My partner, Lee Bryant, went to kennels in Isipingo where there were two donation dogs boarded. He used to pick up the Rottweiler at the kennels and take it out. One day we went to fetch the dog and the other dog at the kennels had broken out. I had bent down to tie my shoelace and saw the dog running at me, she pushed me over and licked my face!” he said.
The dog, Fancy, was in a bad shape and he said felt he could look after her.
“I didn’t want her to stay at the kennels and my friend said he would look after her. Lee took her to stay with him as he had a garden cottage. When I started working in public relations in July 2012, Lee phoned to say Fancy had run away. I was beside myself! We drove around and eventually a vet phoned Lee and said a woman had picked up a dog matching her description. When we went to her house, Fancy was on her couch, having a jol! I started working with Fancy through the public relations department and took her to live at home,” he said.
Jacques said Fancy was a special dog. She was not a patrol dog, and he felt she would be best used in outreach programmes. He took her to visit a sick child in hospital and she ended up lying on the bed with the child. From July 2012, Fancy was there with Jacques to bring joy to others. “We took her all over, to hospitals, old age homes, special schools and the AIDS Centre. Fancy never had love, so she made up for this by giving love to others. She wasn’t just a dog, not even a partner, as a partner can be replaced, Fancy was everything to me, at home, work, wherever we went, it wasn’t about me, it was about Fancy. The sun shone out of her eyes for people, and she brought life to people who were sick or old,” he said.
Jacques said Fancy was taken so soon without warning and two weeks before, at their last outreach on 6 July, she had been jumping around like nothing was wrong.
On 7 July, he noticed she was vomiting and she was taken in for an operation shortly after this. On 12 July he was told she had cancer and would start chemotherapy.
“She started treatment on 19 July and was not well after that. She just went downhill and died on 22 July. I am heartbroken. I’m so sad it went so quickly as I thought there was hope, that we’d have at least six to nine months with her at home where we could give her love. I am unsure of my purpose without her. I can’t bring happiness to a sick child alone. There will be a bigger picture, I just can’t see it yet,” he said.
He said he would be prepared to go through it all again as he had proven with Fancy that a police dog could make a difference in the community.
“Any police dog can help catch suspects or recover stolen goods, but the impact Fancy had on people was ‘wow, a police dog can be friendly!’ She just sensed people were sick or needed attention and we let her do her thing. The community who knew her know the impact she had,” he said.
Jacques said he might in the future start again, with a puppy this time, to try bring it up to be like Fancy.
“When I first found out what Fancy’s name was, I thought that wasn’t the best name for a police dog, but two months into our relationship I saw it suited her perfectly, she was Fancy, there’s no name that would describe her better. I will miss her always, but hope to be able to build her legacy,” he said.
