17/10/2026
Five Wasn’t Too Old: A love letter to Big Merv 💚
Merv found his family on a particularly special day, his fifth birthday and Ben and his wife’s 25th wedding anniversary.
Just three weeks later, their new life together took an unexpected turn when Merv dislocated and shattered his leg and broke his ankle. Two surgeries and a long recovery followed, but through every difficult moment, his family never regretted choosing him.
Merv’s mum has shared this beautiful letter about the love, worry, laughter and joy he has brought into their lives.
Dear Merv,
When you came into our lives, I didn’t know that a dog could find such a huge place in my heart in such a short amount of time.
I had loved dogs before. But I had never been in love with a dog in the way I am with you.
Perhaps it is because, before you came into our lives, I had travelled to India and seen so many beautiful street dogs living without the safety, comfort and love that you now have. Dogs I wanted to help but couldn’t. Maybe something in me was already carrying that love and helplessness when you arrived.
Or perhaps it is simply you.
Because you have opened a part of me that I don’t think has ever had quite the same opportunity to express itself before - the completely uncomplicated part that can love, nurture, protect, laugh, worry, delight and simply be present.
You don’t care what I achieved today.
You don’t care whether my work went well.
You don’t care whether I was productive or whether I got everything done.
You just want to be with me.
And somehow, that is incredibly powerful.
You have taught me something about unconditional love that I don’t think I understood until you came along.
Of course, adopting you hasn’t been without its challenges.
You arrived as an ex-racing greyhound with your own history, your own needs and your own things to learn about being a pet. We had to learn about you and you had to learn about us.
And then came your accident.
The worry.
The surgery.
The uncertainty.
The recovery.
The financial impact we never could have anticipated.
There were moments when having you in our lives was emotionally and financially overwhelming.
But there was never a moment when we regretted having you.
Because alongside all of those challenges has been something much bigger.
**Joy.**
Every single day, you bring Ben and me joy.
And it isn’t just us.
Almost everyone who meets you falls a little bit in love with you.
There is something about a greyhound.
Perhaps it is the gentleness.
Perhaps it is those enormous eyes.
Perhaps it is the way a dog who has spent part of his life racing can suddenly discover the extraordinary luxury of a soft bed, a quiet home, a walk where sniffing is more important than speed and people who simply want him to be happy.
Watching you discover those things has been one of the greatest gifts.
I also want to say something about the comments we received when we told people we had adopted you at five years old.
*“Five? Isn’t he too old?”*
I heard that more than once.
And perhaps that’s one of the things I want people to understand about ex-racing greyhounds.
Five isn’t too old.
You weren’t too old, Merv.
You were simply five years old and, at five, you still had so much life, love, learning, silliness, sleep, zoomies, walks and companionship ahead of you.
In fact, perhaps one of the greatest joys has been watching you discover that your life wasn’t over when your racing career ended.
It was beginning again.
There have been moments of worry and uncertainty that tested us.
But none of those things make me wish we had chosen differently.
Because every day, Ben and I look at you and experience an extraordinary amount of joy.
And then there are the people who meet you - the smiles, the pats, the conversations and the instant affection. You seem to have this wonderful ability to make people stop and connect.
So perhaps that’s what I would like people to think about when they see a five-year-old greyhound waiting for a home.
Don’t see five years old.
See the years still waiting to be lived.
See the personality you haven’t yet discovered.
See the companionship that hasn’t yet begun.
See the dog who may have spent his early years doing something entirely different and is now waiting to learn what it means to simply be someone’s dog.
Because that’s what you have become, Merv.
Our dog.
And somehow, in becoming ours, you have opened a part of me that didn’t have quite the same opportunity to express itself before—the completely uncomplicated part that can love, nurture, protect, laugh, worry, delight and simply be present.
I thought we were giving you a home.
I didn’t realise how much you would give us in return.
Because you aren’t a project I needed to fix.
You are a dog I needed to get to know.
And in getting to know you, I have discovered so much about myself.
I’ve discovered how deeply I can love an animal.
I’ve discovered how much happiness can come from the smallest things—a sleepy face, a wagging tail, a walk, a sniff, the sound of you moving around the house or simply knowing you are there.
I’ve discovered that love doesn’t need to be complicated.
Sometimes it is just lying beside someone you love and feeling completely grateful that they are here.
And perhaps that is the greatest thing you have given me.
You have reminded me to be present.
To notice.
To slow down.
To delight in ordinary moments.
To love without needing a reason.
It hasn’t been a long time, but somehow, Merv, it feels as though you have always belonged here.
And despite everything we have been through—the emotional and financial challenges, the worry and the unexpected turns—I would choose you again.
In a heartbeat.
Because you have brought something into our home that money can’t measure.
You have brought love, laughter, connection and an extraordinary amount of joy.
So this is my little love letter to you, Merv.
And perhaps also a little love letter to the greyhound sitting somewhere waiting for their person.
You don’t have to be young to change a dog’s life.
Sometimes, you just have to be willing to open your home.
And perhaps, without realising it, you might find that they change yours too.
With all my love,
Mum 🩵🐾
