Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra ‘news flashes’!

Wednesday October 26th 2016

It’s our third visit to The Perfect Space. As on her second visit, Isis is no longer afraid when we leave the car and walk through the park. Her tail is up and she trots along beside me, happy and confident.

We’ve been lucky on both our previous visits. The gates have been open, the space empty, and we’ve had plenty of time to ourselves.

Last time, she was a little more adventurous, moving up and down the fence on the far side of the field more frequently than before, but still spending most of her time twirling by the gate.

Will we be lucky again this time? Will the gates be open?

We turn left from the path, and walk between the two huge trees from where we can see the nearest gate.

It’s closed.

Oh.

We walk over and I look into the space. It’s teeming with dogs. There are four small ones, of similar breed, supervised by a young lady. At the far end of the field springers, labradoodles and a medium sized cross-breed frolic around under the watchful eye of a young guy – a dogwalker, I later discover.

Over the gate, I explain Hairy One’s disabilities and my concern that she might run into another dog and injure it.

We are waved in. Isis receives a few enquiring sniffs as she enters. She doesn’t turn a hair but makes her way across the space to the opposite gate and begins her ritual twirling and air snapping.

This attracts the attention of the second group, and over the next few minutes they approach her in ones and twos, stand and watch her antics, and then drift back to their own doggy affairs.

The gate, as the young dog walker observes, is her reference point, a safe base.

But soon brave little Isis begins to make forays into the middle ground, just gentle explorations, at walking pace. During her little walks she is greeted by each of the five dogs, most of them returning several times for another sniff.

Amazingly, Isis appears to be unfazed.

If she seems a little lost, I approach her and give her my hand. She wags her tail, then continues on her way.

I would never have imaged that she could have enjoyed her freedom like this, let alone wander, unafraid, among other dogs.

Hairy One, you’re a star!

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.co.uk