It's a Dog's Life

The weekend reunited me with one of God’s greatest creatures, the dog. How did it happen? Well a series of zig zags, jumps and cartwheels…It all started when I had to go and talk to a man at Swindon and District Animal Haven about the new “enriched cages” that are replacing conventional “battery cages” for chickens next year. I met John Warwick on a muddy January day at his farm just outside Wootton Bassett near Swindon.

We discussed the EU legislation that is coming in next year. Chickens that are cage farmed for eggs will have a bigger area to live. The worry is that Europe will be flooded with cheap eggs from outside the EU and run British farmers out of business. No one can predict the future so we’ll jus have to wait and see what happens.

So John and I talked it over for a few minutes and then my mum and I bought some chickens from him, which was all very nice. Then I noticed the dog kennels and innocently asked whether I could come and walk some of them one day…to which he replied “you can have one for the weekend if you like”. To which I said yes immediately and thus my love affair with Bruno the black Labrador begun. Bruno is in the rescue centre because his owner is a homeless man who is trying to become free from drugs. In order to do this he is spending some time in a kind of halfway house to try and clean. Unfortunately no dogs allowed, so Bruno goes into care himself.

Bruno is a lively 6 year old dog with a wonderful temperament. Bruno will sit, lie and give you his paw on command. I took him to Savernake forest and he was quite happy running around in the fresh crisp air without a care in the world. I gave him a good old clean and brush and he was as good as gold. I couldn’t believe how lovely this dog was. From how he led his head on my lap whilst I was driving him places to how he snuggled up on my chair with me as we watched television…bliss.

True love never runs smoothly or goes according to plan and I of course I had to give Bruno back because he already has an owner. Most of the dogs at the rescue centre don’t so Bruno is one of the lucky ones. But it was I who was the lucky one, picking up Bruno to get my dog fix and having a wonderful weekend.