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

Sunday June 11th 2017

While I am in Wales visiting Polymath, Isis has a restful week boarding at Holly Trees Kennels/ HART (Holly Trees Animal Rescue Trust). Here, I am always assured by Ray, Tracy, Adam and Wendy, she behaves consistently impeccably.

They are all very kind and tolerant at Holly Trees, and allow ‘impeccably’ to include Isis dancing multiple jigs while they attempt to harness her to take her outside, and Isis defending her food so noisily that she can be heard all over the kennels. As I’ve mentioned before, they also allow her to occupy herself by tearing cardboard boxes into tiny bits.

Even before I’ve left her, I’m looking forward to collecting her a week later. There can be few experiences more heart-warming than being reunited with your dog.

In the past, bringing Isis home was a strange experience, as she never demonstrated any  emotion at all when I collected her. She just followed me passively on the end of her lead,  like a stiff little robot or a passed round parcel.

She doesn’t go crazy today, but when she picks up my scent she wriggles with excitement, and now and again she nudges my hand gently with her deliciously cool, wet, spotty, pink nose.

There is no doubt that she is very happy for when Tracy, Ji. and I pat her, her lovely, hairy tail wags and wags and wags.

I go weak at the knees.

I forgot to put treats in her going away bag, but no problem, Ray tells me, as she’s happy to eat their treats. He picks up a nice, green, dental chew.

“What!”, say I, “She refuses to eat those at home.”

“Well, she gobbles them up here,” Ray assures me, bending down to offer her the chew.  But the little toad barely sniffs at it before turning away her head.

Clearly, we’re both liars.

She is very well cared for at Holly Trees, and obviously feels happy and secure. And she always comes back home looking and smelling as clean and as sweet as she did when she went away.

When I first had Isis, I couldn’t imagine a kennels being willing to take her on, but they’re brilliant with her at Ray’s. No need for me to wonder whether she’s O.K.

No need for me to phone to see how she’s settling in.

I do, of course.

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