Hamilton mourns death of his dog Roscoe

LONDON: Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton on Monday announced the death of his beloved dog, bulldog Roscoe, in a social media post, saying it was the hardest decision to say goodbye to the dog.

Hamilton’s 12-year-old dog was placed in a coma after he caught pneumonia.

The British driver missed a Pirelli tyre test and an event at Milan Fashion Week last week to look after his ill dog.

Hamilton said after four days on life support, Roscoe was put to sleep on Sunday, in his arms, and it was the hardest decision of his life to say goodbye to Roscoe.

He further added that bringing Roscoe into his life was the best decision.

"After four days on life support, fighting with every bit of strength he had, I had to make the hardest decision of my life and say goodbye to Roscoe," Hamilton told his 40.9 million followers on Instagram, where the bulldog had a following of 1.4 million.

"Bringing Roscoe into my life was the best decision I ever made, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together."

The pet remained with Hamilton for six title seasons with Mercedes. Hamilton's other dog Coco died in 2020.

The British Ferrari driver will try his luck in Singapore this week. He has still to finish on the podium after joining the Scuderia in January.

Formula One also hailed Roscoe as ’a true star in his own right’ on their official X account, with 11.6 million followers.

"Lewis Hamilton's beloved Roscoe brought smiles to the paddock and warmed the hearts of fans all over the world," it said.