Blackie was my first dog, and my first true love. Her unconditional love is an inspiration to me. She was a black and white border collie (possibly a cross). She was found near Lincoln wandering in November, two days before she whelped. She was aged approximately two years old, had previously had a broken leg, and had been shot by an airgun pellet. The Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture's Animal Care unit took her in. They decided to cull all but two of the pups. Blackie stayed there another 8 years in kennels, waiting for someone to take her. She did get placed a couple of times, but they brought her back, as Blackie could escape from a 14 foot high kennel. Indeed after a thunderstorm, she was found hanging by her back legs at the top of the kennel. My friend got a job at the Animal Care Unit while we were at university there, and asked me if I would take her in. I went into her kennel and sat with her a while. She came up to me, licked my hand once and lay with her front paws over my knee. I knew from that day she had waited for me.

She was a member of the De Montfort Agility Dog display team, and up untill three days before she was given sleep you really would have thought she was a youngster.

We had four more wonderful years before she succumbed to bowel cancer. She never left my side, so her ashes are by my side now, waiting until we are reunited at the bridge.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss her.

RIP Blackfly  20th November 1986- 27th January 2000

Shads came to us aged seven. He was a giant German Shepherd Dog. He used to be a guard dog in Scotland. One day the farm was attacked by poachers. Shadow did his best, but the poachers shot him in the leg, and then in the head. They left him to die.

Fortunately the bullets missed the vital areas. He found a home with a family who loved him, but unfortunately fed him on curry and coffee. The husband of this family was killed, and the wife decided that she couldn't cope with Shadow.

I took him in, and promptly got kicked out of my dad's home for keeping him. It was unfortunate that Shadow belched when he first met my dad, and dad mistook this for a growl. Shadow was a bit of a handful, I admit. He dragged my freind over several front yards chasing after a cat, and he once backflipped over some fencing while chasing a rabbit. He also used to continuously moult- you could easily get a binbag full, and our house was covered with tumbleweeds of fur.

He enjoyed his life- he loved to race down the hill to the stables and he did his bit by hauling several bales of hay over half a mile in winter. He was employed for a while as a Security dog and loved his rounds with me at the quarries.

Unfortunately he started to suffer with Degenerative Myelopathy. Due to the obvious state of his liver and intestines, it was decided that he would not be able to cope with a long term course of tablets, and was given sleep.

Goodnight my big lad.

The Shadow of Milton 10th October 1992 - 27th May 2003

Keeper was an Afghan Hound cross. He was found wandering the streets of Rathkeale in Co. Limerick. He was taken in by my Aunty Chris, and I spent a lot of my later childhood with him, whenever we were on holiday. We'd go for walks, or just sit in the outhouse that was his home. I tried to buy him Bonios with my pocket money, or even a tin of dog food. He had a bit of baler twine for a lead at first, and I shared every little thing I had with him.

He died of old age about ten years ago.

Night Keeps.

These were two kittens we bought when we moved into our previous house. They were wild little beasts who delighted in peeing in the umbrella plant's pot. They loved life and enjoyed playing underneath a bush in the garden.

Socks was a black and white female, and Biscuit was a ginger male.

Unfortunately Socks succumbed to a speeding motorist and was killed outright. She was found by the roadside.

Biscuit followed her to the Bridge about a month later. He had also been run over. A kind neighbour brought him to us, and we rushed him to our vets. Sadly it was found that his spine was broken, so he was given sleep.

Night night little Mittens.

RIP Socks 8th June 2003 - 21st October 2003

RIP Biscuit 8th June 2003 - 30th November 2003

Born out of Kempshills Fly by Astra Jasper. The same litter as Bertie.

They died of Fading Puppy Syndrome. They were all born apparently healthy and all good weights.

Duck used to quack at me, hence how she got her name. This is one of the symptoms of the syndrome. She died on the way to the vets, but I managed to revive her. On arrival, they gave her oxygen and fluids, but to no avail. They gave her sleep that afternoon.

Kip and Coal were the next two to be given sleep. They had lost the ability to suckle, and found it difficult to breathe.

Pip was a little fighter. He had the odds stacked against him, being one of the lightest born (10oz), but his indomitable spirit was inspirational. He held for a while but he and his sister Tok were given sleep as they were suffering too much. There wasn't enough fight left in him.

Kite, we thought was going to be a lucky one. She fought on but while at the Veterinary Surgery, she had a fit and died in the vet nurse's arms.

RIP pups  born 19th January 2004

Fill your lungs little ones with the sweet air, and play for a while. Nothing can hurt you now.

RIP Duck 23rd January 2004

RIP Kip 26th January 2004

RIP Coal 26th January 2004

RIP Tok 27th January 2004

RIP Pip 27th January 2004

RIP Kite 3rd February 2004