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

Wednesday October 11th 2017

Very sad news last week. D., who moved out of Birmingham a couple of years ago tells me that her lovely labradoodle Billy has just died.

Billy, renowned for his obsession with rolling in deep, muddy puddles, and known to his closest friends as  Billybogs, was the sweetest, most cheerful dog you could meet. My previous dog, Ellie enjoyed many happy hours and several sleep-overs at Billy’s house.

She liked to take over his very large bed, but growled over the edge of it at poor Billy when he tried to settle in hers!

Much to D.’s amusement, when they were let out into the garden, Billy was boss. He strode ahead around his large domain, demonstrating where it was legitimate to pee, while Ellie trotted respectfully behind him, peeing on exactly the same stem or leaf.

Gr. summed up Billy beautifully. “He was such a happy dog.”

More sad news comes this week. Lovely Ralph, a sleek, black, working cocker, and sweet Gemma have also died suddenly.

When I first met Ralph in Kings Heath Park, he was little bigger than my hand. He was an incredibly energetic dog who was still shooting like an arrow after his beloved kong even when I last saw him a few weeks ago.

Gemma was rescued from a huge roundabout in the north of Birmingham. Only a few months old and terrified, she was racing round and round in and out of the traffic. A motorist managed to stop. Engine running, she opened her passenger door, called out and, amazingly, the pup jumped into the car.

She was taken to Ray Deddicott’s Holly Trees Animal Rescue Trust.

Now Gemma was about the size of a small labrador. And J. was looking for a westie sized dog. She heard Gemma’s story and took her home.

Three lovely dogs with devoted owners.

How sad.

******

This week Isis and I have visitors. First J. arrives. Already suffering from significant health problems, she injured her back about six weeks ago and has been unable to take energetic springer spaniel Lily to the park for six weeks.

Last week she bought a disability scooter, and today they’d been to the park.

J. hopes that Lily might sit on the foot board of the scooter in a ladylike fashion, but so far, Lily has declined, preferring to trot along at J.’s side.

It was lovely to see them.

Next, Je., Miki and Wilda arrive.

If you have been following this blog for a while, you may remember that Wilda was the ring bearer at Je. and L.’s wedding.

Well, now she’s a little baby sitter. Well, not quite, but she and baby Miki are well bonded. Apparently she used to run away when Miki cried. Now she looks at him with concern, gives him a sniff and waits impatiently for help to arrive.

It’s over six weeks since I walked in the park, and I’ve missed my park mates enormously. It was lovely to see them again and catch up on park goings on.

Hairy One, of course, has suffered no such deprivation. Since she returned from kennels nearly three weeks ago, she has been taken to the park most days by R. and S.

Although she’s very cautious and approaches human visitors gingerly, she always comes to join us in the front room.

Dog visitors are a different matter altogether. Both Lily and Wilda are keen to say hello, but Isis slinks off into her back room where she stays until they’ve left.

When Billy visited, she used to shoot upstairs and glue herself to the bed.

So I guess there’s some progress.

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