Topic: My Baby

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Some of you "old-timers" will remember that my baby was my dog, called Poor Little Orphan Annie.   Thus named because when we had a Pet Shop a customer brought to us a tiny puppy which her two dogs had found that cold April morning in a field near a river.   She had a very fat tummy full of worms, she was bow legged which caused a doctor friend to wonder if she had rickets, and she smelt of horse muck.   She went every where with us, particularly with me.   If I went to Market at 4am to buy garden plants, she came with me.   If I went to the Warehouse to buy pet products, she came with me, and became a cause celebre with both the staff, and other Pet Shop owners.
As she matured, if she wasn't asleep in her bed, she would be outside the shop watching the world go by.   She became the "village dog" and she had literally hundreds of friends - not all of them customers.   She knew which of the other shops she could go into, and those which were taboo (the Butchers for example).   She was not allowed either into the Bakers, but she would go down there with anyone, sit outside to wait for a sausage roll - in a paper bag - which she would return with to the shop to drop it at the feet of one of us.   We had to then remove the paper, cut it up and put it in her dish.   If we were busy, and unaware of the sausage-roll, it could be there for ages.
We sold the shop, retired, and Annie and I got an allotment.   We used next door's chickens to help clear the over growth, and Annie quickly made friends with the chickens.   They could walk under her belly and she wouldn't flinch, but she did take exception to them pecking her toes.
My baby died on 23rd March this year after she had been diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous tumour in her front right shoulder.   She couldn't walk.
She was a Rottweiller cross, and as gentle a dog as you could wish.   She was 11 years, 1 week, 1 day old (we think) when she died.   For all of that time neither one of us left her for more than a couple of hours.
So if you see "My baby has sadly died" you will, I hope, understand.

[lorna]

That is the trouble with our pets they become part of the family and loved as one but unfortunately their lives are not long.
Just recently Elsa my King Charles Cavalier had to have a biopsy (tonsils) and the vet said it could be cancer. I went through a few days of agony but  luckily the results were good
You will miss her for a long time, I still tell my grandchildren about my lovely old labs.
Like Wardy and her dog my "mutt" can be a real pain, I have to take her everywhere but  she does give me hours of pleasure.
Lorna.

[Heldi]

Aw that's so sad. I've never forgotten the pain of having my poor Jaz put to sleep. She had cancer. She wagged her little tail as if to say goodbye as the vet was doing it. I'm in tears now remembering it. She was a Rottweiller cross too. Do you know what,that was about 15 years ago!

Your Baby sounds like she was a lovely dog and she obviously gave alot of people pleasure. I hope you can take some comfort from that.

[BAGGY]

My Barney was my best friend.  Shortly after I was diagnosed with epilepsy and came home to convaless after brain surgery our bond became closer.  He kept me sane in my dark times and forced me to go out for walks when I felt lousy.  Sometime later  I left home but Barnes would come for access visits at the weekends.  He even learnt how to predict a seizure and would lie next to me whimpering until I came round.  Even had to be locked away from the ambulance crew on occasions.  He has been dead about five years and I miss him every day.  I have a cat but with a dog it is just 'different'.  Cats own you.   I will still be mortified when Merlin puss pops his clogs but Barney was one special (if somewhat stupid) dog.

[littlegem]

i'm so glad that you actually spent this precious time with 'your baby', so many people go all their life without this experience. I'm only 31 and my O/H has 4 kids but we cant have any cos he's had the snip, so licksey (look left) is my baby, and Lorna, they are no trouble at all, licksey comes practically everywhere with me, visiting, holidays, work, shop, everywhere. she loves it on holiday cos we climb big hillls and stuff and she must go 4 times the distance than us in diagonals but she loves it, we call her a mountain goat going up and the rescue dog going down, cos we always lose our markings going down so we just follow her and she always gets us to the bottom with no scrapes. and to thonk i started out only looking after her for a friend! why he didnt want her i dont know, shes an absolute darling, even though shes too big to get on our laps but she manages it!!

[BAGGY]

Licksey is a brilliant name.   Is she a greyhound / whippetty cross thingy or am just being a thicko.

[littlegem]

baggy, she's a greyhound/labrador. Fast and friendly!!! They've been taking the micky out of her today at work though, saying she's a lab on stilts and that i've xbred her with a giraffe!!!! rotton sods

[Hyacinth]

Hello Colin,

Of course I remember Annie! I'm very sorry that she's passed away - love, Lishka

[busy_lizzie]

Oh Colin, I am so sorry for the loss of your lovely Annie.  It hurts a lot when a beloved dog dies.  I hope you will find a small comfort in the knowledge that you gave her a wonderful life filled with love and companionship, and you were there by her side at the end.  :( busy_lizzie

[daisymay]

Colin,

what a beautiful recollection of a wonderful life, bought a tear to my eye! What a lucky dog to have been bought to your pet shop as a puppy.

The OH and I always had dogs as children and would love to have one again, but we are out at work all day and it is not fair to leave it on its own all day. Maybe one day...

[Doris_Pinks]

Oh Colin, sad to hear about Annie, I used to love reading about her.......DP

[Merlins Mum]

Colin I am so sorry, my heart goes out to you.  I have tears running down my face as I type  :'(
She was obviously very special.

MM

[Marianne]

Colin,

I am so very sad to hear about your baby.  I know how you must have felt but you must remember the good times.  However, the pain will never leave you, I know, I have been there so often.   :'( :'( :'(