Saying Goodbye to Darwin, our Furry CEO

While this situation is personal and very difficult to write about – it has taken us 3 weeks to even find the words – we feel that we owe it to the Actijoy community of dog lovers to discuss his passing. 

Actijoy was started 2 years when our human CEO, Robert Hasek, began running outdoors. He invited Darwin, his furry best friend, to join him. Although we assumed that Darwin was a physically fit dog due to regular walks and a love for chasing tennis balls in his large garden, he struggled with this new activity. We were surprised by this revelation, and a veterinarian confirmed that Darwin was not as active as he should be in his daily life.

As concerned pet owners, we wanted to measure just how active he was, and we were searching for a tool to aid us in Darwin’s fitness journey. However, none of the available dog trackers on the market fulfilled our needs. Thus, the idea for Actijoy was born. 

Darwin underwent all of our prototype testing and helped us get Actijoy into the final phase. Over the course of two years he reached peak physical condition and met his activity goals daily. He was fit and happy. 

But, his heart betrayed him.   

Although we are heartbroken over Darwin’s passing, we are happy that his last day was a perfect one. After spending the day in the office with a pack of tennis balls, as well as receiving love and attention from his coworkers, we arrived home and played in the garden. It was a beautiful and sunny day, with every family member present. 

Darwin was enjoying a game of fetch and was perfectly happy. There were no signs that something might be wrong. After he caught his final ball, he lied down in the garden to rest. While he appeared to be sleeping he passed away peacefully, without any sound and perfectly happy.

When we realized Darwin wasn’t breathing we began CPR immediately. However, after 20 minutes without any response, we realized we had lost him. We did everything we could. 

When we later consulted our veterinarian we were told he suffered a massive heart attack. Darwin did not suffer, as he did not feel anything or even make a sound. He was truly peaceful and surrounded by his family.

Even though we are familiar with emergency situations and are well-versed in lifesaving techniques, thanks to veterinarians and dog breeders within the family, we were frustrated that our CPR skills were not enough to bring Darwin back. Therefore, we have decided to publish a serial on the Actijoy blog about canine CPR. We believe every dog parent must know what to do in case of an emergency in order to give his or her pet a chance to survive. 

Ultimately, Darwin was a loving miniature bull terrier with immense personality and kindness who always wore his heart on his sleeve. He was truly a rare dog to us. We believe he has crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge and is happy there. We are beyond thankful for all of his contributions to our lives and to Actijoy.