For the love of Bertie.........

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Oscar Namechange
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Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:26 am

For the love of Bertie.........

Post by Oscar Namechange »

Where do I start? Because I know I will cry as I write this.

Dear Darling Bertie,

It has been 6 years now since the day I had to part with you.

I still feel a failure every day because I could not find a solution to the problem.

I pride myself on having helped the RSPCA years ago often taking In many Un-controllable dogs. I have had all sorts over the years many of them vicious buggers who had their own reasons for being like that but what happened to you was my own doing.

Your crime for being parted from me was simply because you loved me just a little too much.

You were born on Christmas Day and Frankly I could have throttled your mother Scully for giving birth In the middle of Christmas Dinner a week early.

You showed no signs of any problems up to the age of 8 weeks when we advertised your litter for sale.

As we always did, we vetted the people who came for puppies and did home visits.

You got a lovely home not far from here but we were shocked when your new owners brought you back after just 3 weeks saying you had showed signs of aggressiveness.

We could not understand It as your parents were so good along with the 2 previous litters.

We re-advertised you but as you were an older puppy by then, the offers were not forth-coming so we decided to keep you.

I should have known back then that you being a boy would cause problems with your dad, Mulder but we loved you so much.

It became very clear early on that you were a one man dog... or one woman dog. You never gave Mr O a second glance In all the time that you were with us and then the aggression started to show towards him. You would snarl and snap If he came near me.

However, you loved your Dad Mulder and played for hours with balls and In the garden and chasing each other around the field.

You were about 2 years old when the first Incident happened. I was In the garden planting some bulbs with you by my side. You were helping... but your dad Mulder came over to Investigate and you flew at him latching on to his throat. When Mr O tried to seperate you, you turned on him.

You had matured and wanted to be top dog In the house which was some-thing that your Dad Mulder was never going to have.

I even paid for a dog phycologist to come to the home and observe you but she only told me what I already knew.... You were jealous, dominant and possessive.

We did every-thing we could do to amend the situation but your fights with your Dad Mulder got worse and worse. Both of you would latch onto each others throats and nothing could shift you. The Injuries began to get worse and worse.

Not ever wanting to part with you, we decided to keep you and your Dad In seperate parts of the house. We did that for 2 years not ever wanting to part with you but one day you got through the door when we were out and I came home to find you and your Dad swimming In each others blood sliding about all over the floor locked on each others throats.

Having known the RSPCA and other animal rescue centre's, I knew that you would never be able to be re-homed because you had also bitten 4 people while out on walks.. people who came a little too close to me.

We knew that you or your Dad had to go for your own safety and well being so we contacted Bath Cats and Dogs home because they have a policy of never destroying a dog however vicious. I did not want you going any where else because I would spend the rest of my life wondering If you were still alive and happy.

As with such a home, the waiting list for a placement was horrendous but we were determined that you were not going any-where else.

It was a year before we got the letter saying they had a place for you. For that year we still had you and your dad Mulder seperated In the house but with bolts on every door when we went out.

Mr O took you that day because I could not even bear to see you being put In the car.

Once there, they explained they had to remove all traces of us from you and took your collar and lead. It was then Mr O broke down.

They also re-named you Royston and told us we could never have contact with you again for your own good.

You have been there 6 years now.... It is a wonderful place and you have your own run about 50 by 25 feet. You have a small pond In your run which I was really pleased about because your happiest times were when you and I snuck off on our own down to the duck pond where you loved to swim. Your run is full of toys and you have a neat enclosure outside and Inside.... You are doing well In the obedience training and walking on harness.....

How do I know these things Bertie?

Because what you do not know Is that every so often I go to Bath cats and Dogs home and I watch you just out of sight of your run and out of smell distance. I watch you barking furiously at all the visitors and think 'No change there then'. :wah:

I stand there watching you and you are completely un-aware that I am there.

I always told you that one day I would come back for you. Your Dad Is 14 years old now. When we had to make that choice of which one of you went, you or him, we chose you because you were the youngest and we hoped that you would get a new home where you had an owner all to yourself which Is what you only wanted with me.

I just hang on that one day when we lose your Dad to old age, they will let me have another chance with you. You would be fine with my girl dogs because you would not have to compete for Alpha Dog In the house.

I miss you every day Bertie... I can not bear to go to the Duck Pond any more because that is where you not only had your swims, but we had our cuddles away from the house and the jealousey.

There was some-thing I always said to you as I left the house or went to bed... so...

'Sees yer later puppy. :-4

Here you are on the homes website..

http://www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk/s ... rm=royston

I check once a week you know Bertie.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
ZAP
Posts: 3081
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:25 pm

For the love of Bertie.........

Post by ZAP »

What a sad and beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
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