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"Velvet" our
tortie farm cat died aged 17 from jaw cancer. After 3 years, we were
ensconced in a new house and working too hard. One night, we
locked eyes over a delicious dinner and, at the same
moment admitted to each other that "there's a GAP in our
lives". In March, after much research, we selected a short list of around 10 breeds that we would start to explore come the next summer ..........We even visited Crufts and looked at the Discover Dogs section in detail. We were particularly taken with the Hamiltonstovare. The next part of the plan was to spend 3-4 months visiting various breeders and kennels to decide what to go for come late summer. That time of year was our least busy; thus we would have best time to devote to bonding with a new pup. Note the word - "PUP". It was suddenly Easter already; we were busy busy and things drifted a bit 'cos of family, work-travel and colleague demands. In amongst all that, at a conference, late into a switch off session, one of Ken's colleagues divulged that he and his family, who lived in the denizens of Suffolk, had been feeding a wild dog. They had consulted with every apposite Rescue organization, for WEEKS, but not only could they not identify it, but despite every effort, NONE could catch it! By May, we had decided to look at German Pinschers, Whippets, Lancashire Heelers, Salukis, possibly Min Pins and maybe Greyhounds. One Sunday afternoon, we visited our Suffolk friends/colleagues. The wayward wild thing was still visiting for a feed at approximately 4pm each afternoon. I have to say that we did elect to go up the garden and watch. A canine that could evade everyone, and at least seven experts, was worth a look at least!This enormous canine, deliberating ad nauseam before popping over the four foot fence 200 yards from their house and veranda, it only acceded to eating the proffered Pedigree Chum after we had lay prone on the top lawn. That was our first mistake! It went and sat on the steaming compost heap, the better to observe us. We spoke to it; it watched and calmed; still not sure who was calming whom, as the air temperature was lowering rapidly! After a warming drink, we hightailed it home. 1.5 hours later, we keyed our lock and answered our trilling telephone ..............Chris said, "You won't believe this, but we are sitting on our patio, stroking this dog!"Much to our surprise, Red allowed himself to be captured by a Dog Warden the day after our introduction. We had made arrangements to go and collect him from their kennels, after he have gone through all the required checks and been "legalised", a fortnight later. This had been all agreed with one of the local Dog Wardens by our friends, who had been in constant contact with him (and plenty others), for over 3 months ......BUT, "the best laid plans". It transpired that an aged lady had been found dead with over 100 canines and felines in her house that weekend. Three counties' dog wardens and all available rescue associations were mobilised. Red ended up in that melee. It took all our combined efforts for 5 days to find where he had been taken. After 2 further days of talking to the owner of that "take - em & top - em" kennels, we were in no doubt that he would be PTS the next day! The owner was not interested in us, or a rescue, at all! We both played hooky from work the next day and hightailed it to that establishment. Fortunately, after nearly coming to blows with the owner, a kennel maid managed to intercede for us. We were shown very kindly by her, to the barn where Red was, none of us will ever forget it. On the way, we passed umpteen other similar indoor and outdoor buildings containing the kind of large, last - ditch dogs, hounds, guards, mollossiers, dozens of greasy, unkempt hounds, barking and baying, with behaviour problems that no one would ever volunteer to free, despite the efforts of the kennel staff. They had all been judged and found wanting. There were dozens, at least two hundred of them. The cacophony was mind blowing as we walked down the "mall" between the holding cells. To our surprise We were shown into a large and airy indoor barn that was converted into about 16 kennels. Each had a decent amount of indoor space and a large pop - hole to an outdoor run. Being designed for large dogs, the space was ample and very clean; you'd wonder at that - given the owners' attitudes! It speaks volumes for the staff that they'd bother, given the circumstances; we take our hats off to them. "Would
you like to take him for a walk?" At that moment, we came
upon Red’s kennel. He had recognised us already as we walked
up the barn corridor. The moment our eyes met, he excitedly jumped in a
full circle, raised his front portion, got our attention, pranced
back, forth, and did two circuits of his entire domain, inside and
out, to "show it to us" !! A long leather lead was
attached to his collar that he came with and we were suddenly in the
exercise field. Large amount of grass, two separate, well used (!)
trees in the middle; about half an acre. You
remember that Ken is a canine phobic? |
