Christmas gift 2001

It'’s appropriate I should post my dog on my blog at this time of the year since she was heaven sent on 24th December 2001. Everyday I look at her and know she is a gift in my life. My other dog had been sick. I thought he'’d eaten something off in the garden and the vet told me off for giving him chicken bones when I rang to consult. I'’d always given my dogs the big chicken bones because another vet had said they were good for their teeth. Well, the dog was very quiet and looking at me very intently. I took him down to the vet and, as I tried to lift my giant Labrador/Shepherd cross into the car, he tried to bite me. He was so angry. Then he was so sad and shocked as I was. He was the biggest teddybear dog I had ever met. Such a comfort and so kind. I wasn’'t prepared to hear he had a massive tumour in his stomach and his heart was under pressure. I thought he had an upset stomach. I thought he was coming home again. I had just lost my mum to lymphoma and a massive stomach tumour. This was too much information. I had no option but to put him down. I was stunned, shocked. Traumatised. My teddybear dog gone. Why the vet gave me his collar and leash I shall never know. It was the oddest thing. We lasted the night. We got up on the morning of Christmas Eve and we couldn’'t stand not having our dog. The house was so empty and sad. “ "I can’'t stand this. It’'s Christmas. I shall go the the RSPCA and if they have a nice dog we think we can love, then let’'s get a new dog and just have our kind thoughts of our other one. He’'s gone too soon."” Off we drove, very sombre and feeling like we were traitors but knowing we couldn'’t stand another night in a dog free zone. There was Purdie of the giant ears and starey eyes, there was the licking machine, there were fat ones, thin ones, scruffy ones. Our hearts melted. Then there was Tess. Drooling, too thin, so spirited and friendly. A smile in her eyes in spite of her glassy coat and bony look. We took her into the field to play with her. She was very energetic. She was supposed to be two years old. By the time we got her home The Nose had imprinted her big paws all over our lives. She was into every cupboard, she couldn'’t get enough to eat, she had to be fed carefully because she had been starved and mistreated. It took me six months of 3 meals a day to fill her tank. Her coat became shiny, she put on muscle and the vet decided like me , she wasn'’t 2 but 6 months. So we had all the naughty puppy stuff. She is a joy. So happy, cheerful, intelligent and funny. This will be her 4th Christmas with us. I do not regret I rescued her from the RSPCA. She’'s the best present and each day she is full of it.