Get your tissues and your doggie treats ready, because I am about to break your heart with this absolutely adorable news. Odie the seeing-eye dog has retired, and everything about this has me weeping.
If you don’t know who Odie is, let me enlighten you real quick before I snap your heart in two. Odie is a ten-year-old seeing-eye dog, and one of the most travelled pups at that.
There are roughly just over 200 seeing-eye dogs in the Vision Australia team, and Odie has achieved some massive mileage compared to his friends.
Together with his owner Christopher Edwards, Odie has travelled over 100,000 kilometres in the sky, making him as travelled as a Gold Velocity member. That’s a lot of time for a good boy to be in the air. I’ve seen Air Buddies, so I know how hard it is.
Why is this news sad? Well, today was Odie’s last ever flight. Yep, he’s retiring. He’s hanging up the old leash and collar. He’s moving to a beach house on the south coast. (This last part isn’t true, but one can only dream that a pup reclines on a hammock in Nowra once they’re finished their dogly duties.)
To celebrate, Virgin Australia gave Odie a pup cake that says “happy retirement.” I’m not crying, you are. (Okay, I’ll admit, I’m still sobbing).
And the most upsetting part is that there’s a video full of heartwarming moments between Odie and Christopher. Here come the waterworks.
“This last flight of his is a big milestone. To be able to live the life I choose, to have the freedom that I have, he has been such a loyal, excellent worker and a great friend,” said Edwards.
“Odie is going to love his retirement and live it out as a very much-loved pet.”
Oh, GOD. Odie, I miss you already.
Here’s a close-up of the cake that Odie got to munch on for being the best boi on the Virgin Australia flights. Honestly, he deserves it. Go off, king.
If you need me I’m going to be crying myself to sleep. Maybe it’s time to finally get that puppy I’ve been dreaming of.
Happy retirement, Odie.
