Monthly Feature
Each month, we bring you a new feature about dogs and their people. Although we are particularly interested in therapy dog stories, we will also pursue and publish other doggy items. If you have an article which you feel may be relevant to our group, please contact the administrator by email.
Racing in the Rain
Posted by Anne Corke on 2010-03-02
I have always loved animals. Ever since my first day at school, when I found a stray cat on my way home and was allowed to keep it – we called it Fluffy – there has hardly ever been a time when we haven't had a pet in the house. What joy they have brought. What companions they have been. In fact, they have been more than companions. In a frenetic and demanding life, my dogs have been a sanctuary. Far away from the spotlight, removed from the world where you must be properly dressed and carefully prepared, far from any kind of judgement and expectation, they offer unconditional love – and I seem to mean as much to them as they mean to me. The times in my day when I take the dogs for a walk or just get down on the floor and play with them, giving them kisses and cuddles and tickling their tummies, have always been important to me. In some respects, it's a kind of therapy.
Anybody who has felt the remarkable bond that can develop between a human being and a dog will understand precisely what I am talking about. However, I realise some people may be surprised, and a few might even mock the suggestion that these four-legged friends can be so important. I don't mind. Dogs have played a hugely important part in my life, providing countless hours of joy and pleasure. I have cared about them so much and, in one or two cases, their loss has plunged me into the depths of despair and grief. The old saying runs that “you can judge a person by the way they treat dogs”. It may seem a bit simplistic but, in my experience, it's not far from the truth. Show me a person who meets a dog for the first time and can put them instantly at ease, and the chances are that individual will be pretty decent.
Jackie Stewart
from "Winning is Not Enough"