F1 icon heartbroken over pet canine’s tragic dying after he ate cigarette butts

F1 hero Rubens Barrichello has been left devastated by the lack of one in every of his beloved canines, who died after consuming cigarette butts.

Speedy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, fell sick after consuming butts dropped by different canine homeowners. Following the hound’s passing, the previous Ferrari, Honda and Williams driver posted a poignant video message on Instagram, the place he paid tribute to Speedy.

Barrichello, 51, additionally issued a warning to canine homeowners as he revealed that 11 cigarette butts had been discovered inside Speedy. The Brazilian hero believes the pet consumed the butts as he preferred to hold round different canines when he took him to doggy loos whereas on walks.

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“My Speedy, you went too soon, my friend,” he said. “I can solely thanks for the enjoyment that was our journey collectively. I like you eternally.”

He added: “One day my son went to verify and noticed that there have been a number of cigarette butts. Speedy’s abdomen was torn aside and he developed a illness which saved his physique from creating an important protein.

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“He may now not eat. He had bloody diarrhoea and went downhill. Eleven cigarette butts had been faraway from his guts.”

Dog lover Barrichello urged fellow owners to be more careful when discarding cigarette butts. He said: “We take the dog’s poop with a bag and throw it in the bin, so it would be polite if people who smoke had this attitude too. I’m passionate about dogs. I don’t talk bad about anyone. It’s very sad. It is a shame. We really miss Speedy.”

Fellow former F1 driver Felipe Massa despatched his condolences to his compatriot. The 2008 World Championship runner-up posted: “My condolences. He was so nice. I can only imagine what you’re going through.”

Having made his F1 debut in 1993, Barrichello loved a close to 20-year profession. He was Michael Schumacher’s team-mate at Ferrari between 2000 and 2005 and was runner-up to Brawn stable-mate Jenson Button within the 2009 drivers’ standings.