Tika the Iggy, a wildly popular dog on the Internet, has died, her owner announced in an Instagram post on Nov. 4. She was 14.
“Tika, I really thought you were going to live forever. I thought we had more time, but there are things we cannot control. Our hearts are shattered,” the post began.
The post, which was shared on Tika and owner Thomas Shapiro’s pages, featured a photo of the Italian greyhound. Shapiro said Tika had experienced health problems.
Shapiro and his husband, Louis, also have Kala, another Italian greyhound.
Shapiro, who is based in Montreal, shared Tika’s cause of death, and how she spent her final days, in the lengthy caption.
“We had recently found out that you had two tumours in your liver,” he wrote. “It was hard to believe, because you were still so full of life, still jumping up, running, doing everything as usual. But it was determined that those tumors would quickly grow and take a toll on your tiny body, so we followed the advice of all of your amazing vets and went ahead with surgery to remove them.”
The post continued to say that things initially looked good following the procedure before they took a turn for the worse.
“The surgery went very well, the tumours were successfully removed, and you were discharged from the clinic without any complications,” Shapiro wrote.
“That first night home, we treated you to your favourite food (chickunz!) and it seemed like your recovery was going smoothly. We were so happy to have you home. But after your second day home, something had changed. You looked so tired, not quite yourself, yet peaceful.
“At first, the vets believed it was the effect of the pain killers, but we soon found out that it was your body that was slowly giving up, and we were told that there wasn’t anything we could have done that day to prevent it from happening. It is sadly a risk that comes with surgery on senior dogs.”
Shapiro said Tika got to be surrounded by loved ones before her death and that her loss is a devastating blow.
“You spent your last moments at home, held by your favourite dads,” he wrote. “We feel numb and lost now that you are gone, but we are so grateful you were surrounded by your family during your last moments.
“We wish you were still here. You were supposed to prance through your golden years. We just hope you know how deeply you were loved, Tika. By us, but also by so many others who came to know you. You truly loved meeting new friends, and you were larger than life.”
Tika the Iggy during 25th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Oct. 27, 2022.Cindy Ord / Getty Images
“Rest peacefully, our sweet, sweet Tika. We will never, ever forget you. Love, Your favourite dads.”
Tika was a favorite online, with 1.6 million followers on her Instagram page, which lists her as a “fashion model.”
The post ended by asking people to be nice when leaving comments.
“We ask for your kindness and compassion in these difficult times. Thank you, and as my sweet old lady Tika would say, bisous,” Shapiro wrote.
