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A Pet is Forever
By Maree Amor of Textworx
Ringo Starr once sang, "All I have is a photograph..." and while I sometimes think that's all that remains of my beloved dog, there's so much more. The unconditional love, affection, devotion and fun he provided, and which I returned to him, enriched my life as nothing else could. Constant surprises too are what I experienced with my beautiful Rottweiler/Labrador cross as he grew from a lolloping puppy to a strong and proud adult dog. His intelligence amazed me and his protective instinct sometimes unnerved some people who approached me, until he realised I accepted them, and that was good enough for him. My (then) husband and I rescued him from "death row" at the local pound - a more dejected, sadder face I had never seen while he sat in his pen, his eyes expressing vain hope and pulling at our heartstrings until they nearly snapped. For a very cheap $20, we were about to acquire a bundle of joy that would change our lives. Pepe, as he'd already been named, bounded out of the pound with such ecstasy and energy that we wondered how we would control him. As I drove home behind my husband, who had the privilege of taking our precious cargo to his new territory, I smiled for the entire journey as they looked so natural together. Our puppy instinctively knew he was onto something good - and I think we did too. Pepe's first home was a makeshift kennel, consisting of a table for cover, part of a wooden crate for his floor, covered by a hessian bag. He didn't care about the materials, for as modest as it was, his new home was paradise compared to the pound. Two people who loved him and whom he could love in return were his new world. Upon my return from work each day, I almost dreaded opening our back gate because I would be greeted with the greatest excitement I had ever known, and my hands would become smothered with "love bites" and doggie saliva. It didn't end there as he knew what came next. The smallest tinkle of his check chain confirmed that it was time for our daily walk on the beach, and I was never sure who was walking whom. We moved house once, but he seemed to be equally at home in his new place, and although we built him a new kennel, he still insisted sleeping near us, under our bedroom window. Even when we took him camping, we never had to tie him to anything to keep him near us. I recall stirring in the night like an anxious parent, and being comforted by the sounds that assured me he was right where we left him when we had gone to bed. For those who didn't know him, Pepe could look fierce and intimidating, sometimes even to me. Seeing his muscular body hurtling toward me on the beach like a 100 metres sprinter on steroids, had me more than once eyeing-off the nearest sandhill I could dive behind. He had very effective "brakes" though once he'd arrived back like an excited child wanting to tell me all about what he'd just done. I could see for myself that he'd been (or thought he was) terrifying the local seagull population, none of whom were in any danger as they always became airborne - probably satisfied that they'd again so easily outwitted another foolhardy menace. Pepe may have thought he was king of the beach, but at bath time he was an unwilling victim, and I'm sure it was the only time he questioned my intentions. When it was all over, a quick dry and a cuddle made it "all better", and of course the first thing he would do was race off and roll in the nearest patch of dirt - or worse, mud - he could find. The most hilarious he ever looked was just before a camping trip when he temporarily "decamped", returning caked in mud and looking like a clay statue. Cross words and a quick scrub were soon forgotten as he took up his place in the car and he knew he was off for another adventure. It was in the first trimester of my first pregnancy when Pepe went missing. I had never felt more devastated in my entire life. There was a huge, gaping emotional void that nothing could replace, and I never did find out what happened to him which made it worse. We suspect that he was stolen as at the time there was a spate of similar incidents and he was such a handsome dog. In the end it seemed as though Pepe had left so I could devote all my time to my baby girl, and as much as I loved my dog, nothing compared to my baby's arrival. Now and then, I flick through the photos of my gorgeous Pepe and my heart still aches. I feel tears welling in my eyes just writing about him, even though it's many years ago since I lost him. I don't just have photographs; I have great memories and love for a wonderful dog who gave me the experience of a lifetime and an appreciation of what it means to give and receive unconditional love. |
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