Big Issue vendor Nick Cuthbert pays tribute to beloved dog Bryony: 'It's the end of my world'

A much-loved Big Issue vendor who is mourning the loss of his long-time pet dog has described the popular pooch as the “love of his life.”

Nick Cuthbert lost canine companion Bryony on 21 February after the chocolate labrador-mix was put to sleep at the age of 14.

“It’s the end of my world,” said Truro seller Cuthbert. “It’s been coming for a while but I had to take her to the vet to have her put down.

“It’s been put on Facebook and there were hundreds of comments. Loads of kids have grown up with her and she was great with them. She was the love of my life.”

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Cuthbert first met Bryony when the puppy was just seven weeks old and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

Animal lover Cuthbert previously told the Big Issue how two of his customers paid two/thirds of the cost of getting Bryony with him covering the remaining third. Customers even chipped in when Bryony needed expensive x-rays and an operation to fix elbow dysplasia as a puppy.

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“She keeps me going every day now,” he said in 2019. “I know that I have to keep it together, that I need to work and keep a roof over our heads.”

The pair have become a popular sight outside M&S at Lemon Quay in Truro, Cornwall, and Cuthbert even bonded with TV star Dermot O’Leary back in 2018 over a shared love of dogs.

“He knelt down with the dog and stayed with me for about 10 minutes, mostly talking about dogs and the dogs we’ve lost over the years and how much that hurt,” said Cuthbert.

“I told him how much dogs mean to Big Issue vendors like me – dogs are our life.”

The Big Issue vendor, who has been selling the magazine for more than 20 years, has now installed a sign on his pitch in tribute to Bryony and customers have joined him in paying their respects. 

The news comes as the Big Issue is marking National Vendor Week, celebrating and highlighting the hard work of sellers across the UK.

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