A black labrador loved by the Ocean Grove community and known for carrying a brown teddy bear everywhere he went has died. Jena Carr speaks with Caeser’s owner, Denise Sharrock, about the dog’s kind nature and his love for his brown bear.
Caeser was only a puppy when he was taken in by Ocean Grove’s Denise Sharrock and her husband.
The black labrador was 10 weeks old when the couple started to train him as a seeing-eye dog in 2014, but Caeser had decided it was the life of a pet that suited him best.
Denise said Caeser grew up as a “very lovable” dog and was well-known in his community for carrying his brown bear everywhere.
“He stole the brown bear from a seeing eye dog van and they just said, ‘well, you can keep it’,” she said.
“The bear is nine years old and the only one he didn’t properly chew. It’s just been looked after by him, and I’ve just sewed it in its old age.
“Caeser was quite a character, and he comforted all the seeing eye puppies we’ve had since. He’s brought a lot of comfort and happiness to them.”
Denise said the labrador loved his bear and would walk 15 minutes from his home and back while carrying the teddy in his mouth.
“He’d have his bear and waddle around. He was a happy boy and when he was at home, he was happy to drop and have his snoozes,” she said.
“He’d end up with other toys as well. He ended up with this big yellow dinosaur, which he’d also carry around town. It was this huge one, so he’d always favour bear the most.
“One time I remember when the brown bear went missing, we put flyers up, and people thought it was Caesar. It was funny, and I said, ‘It’s the bear’.
“They all said, ‘of course, we all have to rally to get the bear’…and that just showed how much bear was loved as well in the community.”
Denise said Caeser became unwell in 2019 with leg trouble and died four years later, on Tuesday, October 19, after vets discovered a tumour on his lungs and bone cancer on his spine.
“We got him a ramp very early days into the car, which helped a lot, but later on, we would lift him in because the incline wasn’t a good idea.
“We knew he wasn’t well, but his spirit was amazing with everything. Sadly, he just deteriorated, and it was time to say goodbye.
“He had an incredible spirit that kept all the way, and even on his last night, I was on a mattress in the lounge with his bed, just watching him through the night.
“He was heavily on painkillers and everything, but he got up a little bit in his bed, picked up the brown bear and wanted to play.
“Right up to the end, he was carrying his bear. He couldn’t walk, but he’d hold his bear.”
Denise said Caeser was a “human dog” with “an all-round beautiful soul” who loved greeting everyone in the community with his bear and receiving pats from people he met.
“There are so many beautiful memories, and he was a very happy boy…who made everyone so happy,” she said.
“The neighbours adored him, and they all gathered around quite often and just gave him pats.
“He waddled up and down the main street with the bear, and he put his head in the shops, and they’d call him in quite often for a pat, which was funny.
“There were times in Ocean Grove when there was an arcade here and outside, little kids came up and just gave him a little pat and tummy rub.
“We’d take him in the car to a lot of his favourite cafes and the staff would come out and pat him in the car and he still held the bear just to greet everyone, he just loved people so much.”
Denise said Caeser spent his “whole life loving everybody” and enjoyed swimming, picnics, walking and spending time with his family.
“The deep water in summers were good and we took him everywhere, and he got to know communities everywhere,” she said.
“He loved the beach in the early days, but because of his legs, he couldn’t do that anymore. So, we would take him to the Barwon River when the vet said it was okay, and he’d swim in the water.
“He really loved picnics as well, and we’d sit on the grass with him, and he’d just be lying next to us…and towards the end, it was so sad to see that he couldn’t walk.
“If I’d lay down on the floor and maybe do a little bit of meditation or something, he’d put his head on my lap and do it with me. He always had his head on the lap of the grandkids as well.
“If anyone stayed over or whenever we saw them, he would grab bear and follow them everywhere, even if it was six in the morning.”
