A daughter's heart stopped when she checked the tracking app on her phone. Her 72-year-old father, Keith, who had Alzheimer's, was not at home. The GPS dot showed he was walking up the slip road of the busy M60 motorway on a Saturday evening.
Chloe Aldred's terror was compounded by one chilling fact: her dad had his two beloved flat-coated retrievers with him, and his condition meant he no longer understood the vital need to keep them on a lead. "There could have been a catastrophe," Chloe recalls of that evening in 2022.
The Unbreakable Bond: Man and His Dogs
Keith's love for dogs was a lifelong passion. Almost three decades ago, when Chloe was 11, the family got their first flat-coated retriever. A second puppy followed seven years later. These dogs were the centre of Keith's world.
Their daily 6:30am walks were a sacred ritual, and his social life revolved around the Flat-Coated Retriever Association. He was a beloved figure in his community, known as a wonderful listener who always put others first.
The First Signs That Something Was Wrong
In 2017, subtle changes began. The attentive listener started talking incessantly about himself. He began forgetting words, becoming muddled and frustrated. "It was very out of character," Chloe notes.
By 2018, he was getting lost frequently. In one poignant moment, Chloe found him washing the family car with a paintbrush. He was clearly worried but, like many, he put off seeking a medical opinion for years. He was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019, but even then, convincing him to attend check-ups was a battle.
Remarkably, his dogs sensed the change long before the official diagnosis. Previously eager to run and explore, they suddenly refused to leave his side on walks. The older dog would stare intently at Keith, and at home, they followed him from room to room in a display of intense, protective loyalty the whole family witnessed.
A Rapid Decline and a Life-Saving Intervention
Keith's condition deteriorated quickly. His personality altered; he would meticulously pick bobbles off his clothes and stack them, becoming furious if they were moved. The motorway incident was the most dangerous manifestation of his confusion.
After that, his wife had to lock all external doors, as he would forget he had already walked the dogs and repeatedly try to go out again. He didn't understand why he was confined, leading to distressing scenes of him rattling doors and banging windows.
In October 2022, a crisis point was reached. Keith locked his wife in the garden, leaving himself alone inside and in an agitated state. With Chloe unable to get there quickly, the police were called. Their sensitive handling led to Keith being taken to A&E for a review—a journey from which he never returned home.
"It was a huge shock, and incredibly sad," Chloe says, "but looking back, things couldn't have gone on as they were." He was admitted to a dementia assessment unit. The family made the agonising decision that he should not see his dogs again, fearing the heartbreak of them leaving after a visit would be too much for him.
The Final Chapter and a Daughter's Mission
Keith was moved to a care home in February 2023, but it was not equipped for his needs. Later that year, he transferred to a specialist challenging behaviour home with highly trained dementia staff. Tragically, he contracted shingles and passed away in October 2023.
Chloe was by his side. She and her mother cried from sheer relief that his suffering was over. "I started grieving the loss of my dad years before he actually died," she confesses. "The Dad I knew was disappearing before my very eyes."
Her experience has forged a powerful conviction: the critical importance of an early diagnosis. "I encourage any family members of someone with suspected Alzheimer's to urge them to get diagnosed as soon as possible," she states. "They might be able to get treatment to reduce some symptoms. My dad put it off for years. We just didn't know how important it was."
As for the dogs? Once Keith left home for the final time, they seemed to relax, as if their duty as his vigilant carers was complete. They now live a quiet life with Chloe's mother. Chloe concludes, reflecting on their extraordinary devotion, "I doubt I'll ever witness anything like it again."
Alzheimer's Society provides support and information. Visit alzheimers.org.uk or call the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.
