To hear vet Monica talking to camera in the surgery about our gorgeous Oliver while he was gently sleeping on the operating table was like listening to the worst kind of horror film.

I thought her "sound bite" would never end as she described his stunted body, his arthritis and mobility problems, his stiff old limbs that can never extend normally like a healthy bear, his compressed lungs from wearing a full metal jacket so tightly around his chest for decades on the farm, his enlarged heart as a result of it working harder throughout these years, his broken and compromised teeth, and now an eye with lens luxation which was obviously blind and potentially causing him pain.

Thankfully everything has been fixed or managed beautifully over the past three years since we rescued him in April 2010 (after 30 years in a bile farm cage), but it was clear that the eye now needed removing so that he could continue enjoying his peaceful days in the den and pottering around outside.

As ever, our superb vet team rose to the occasion and carried out the surgery with their legendary caring expertise and Oliver soon woke up to a more comfortable world ahead.

Please click here for the full story and to watch the most beautiful video of Oliver - to the appropriate track, "The Broken".

May you enjoy many more springs our beautiful, special bear....