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

Sunday October 15th 2017

It’s stupid Human’s fault of course. It usually is.

At dog’s tea time Isis enjoys a tasty bowl of Burns, enhanced by a sardine.

Yum!

But Human omits to give Hairy One her fresh bowl of water. That’s the first mistake.

Then she pops upstairs and forgets to pull the improvised gate across the stairs.

Before she knows it Isis is on the landing, carefully sniffing the floor. She must have smelled the cat food which has just been put out for Daisy.

But no, she’s not showed any interest in the cat food before. Of course. The poor deprived animal is searching for the water bowl which was always kept on the landing.

Panic. There is no way I can carry Isis downstairs because my arms aren’t working. Before she realises what I’m about to do, I hook a finger into her collar and twitch her onto the stairs. She is terrified and begins to stumbles downwards. To avoid being pulled down after her, I hastily unhook my finger.

The poor little dog scrambles, twists and bounces, then rolls over and over until stopped by the half drawn stair gate.

I watch in horror.

I’m even more horrified when poor Isis, obviously terrified and confused begins to scramble back upstairs again.

I meet her half way up and block her with my legs. But she has lost her head – who can blame her – and is determined to get past me.

I sit down on the stairs and encircle her with my legs. Then, wrapping my limp arms around her in the hope that this will be reassuring, I backside shuffle, millimetre by millimetre, closer and closer to the bottom of the stairs. Little Isis, bless her, doesn’t growl or snap. She leans against me and waits.

When we reach the last step, I free her and give her a little nudge with my knee. She moves forward, but to add insult to injury, the gate slides and lands on top of her. Fortunately, it’s a lightweight structure and she squirms from beneath it unharmed.

Fortunately again, neither of us is hurt. She bears no grudges and happily accepts cuddles and treats.

And she’s clearly delighted with her lovely fresh water, poor innocent dog.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

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