Katherine said, “I have been in fostering for a long time. I generally foster dogs who are either bonded pairs, dogs who have serious medical issues and need time to relax, often taking up to a year, to heal and get to where they need to be, oldies or no-hopers. No-hopers are dogs who quite literally would not manage the journey to England and who are so ‘spent’, that to put them on a journey would not only be unfair to them, but is totally against everything I have learned about the magical Charity Irish Retriever Rescue UK and what my beloved heart sisters Lorraine and Paula believe in, which is ‘the dog’s welfare is first, and always, regardless of what happens’.
I have had a lot of no-hopers, and dogs who initially seemed quite content, regardless of their past, until finally, they reveal their psychological mental trauma and give up trying to hide it. I have had quite a few of those too. I am a relatively disciplined person and know that the dogs that stay, need to do so for their own piece of mind and so, all are welcome whether a blow-in or not.
Sam came in October, a youngster of 18 months, shy, reticent, a little afraid of his own shadow. He had severe eye problems and IRR arranged for him to go to the top Consultant Ophthalmologist in Ireland, Professor Woods. A wonderful person who explained everything, that was going to happen, slowly, and patiently, in layman’s terms and to whom, after a few visits, Sam really warmed. He had an operation and further check ups and tests and will have his final check up shortly.
I had every intention of sending him to the UK, and then the sky fell in. Missy, another poor soul who I had taken and adopted, and had issues of her own, died and left us all bereft. It was like a thunderstorm, a hurricane. Duchess, a white, Staffie also a year or two and who I took out of the Pound because her owner’s partner died and every time he looked at her, crumbled and couldn’t manage. Staffies don’t have much of a chance of being adopted and she was in the Pound a few weeks. I already had a Staffie, Nana, and thought well, another, we could fit another in, somewhere, and that is what happened. Although initially Duchess was a spoiled only dog, she quickly learned that we were a family of sisters and brothers and everyone helped each other. She is a really happy dog now, sleeping in my double bed with Nana, just as well I am not married as my husband would have to sleep outside on the window sill!
I worried about Duchess. She is hip-glued to Sam, who I call ‘Mr. Sunshine’. Although he has a disability, being partially sighted, it does not stop him from doing naughty things. I left buns on the counter as I do in the morning, one for everyone. I turned to call the rest of the dogs and all of a sudden all the buns disappeared. I’m 60, so, I thought, ‘you’re losing it’ I am sure I left them there, and called each one to find out. They all looked at me questioningly and then I called Samuel, I do that when I am upset, he looked sheepishly around the door as if to say ‘but you left them there for me!’
Once, when I went out and left a friend to keep an eye on them, she closed the bedroom door only to come down and find a 200-year-old rocking chair that belonged to my great-grandfather in bits, chewed to ribbons. He did the same to a pouffe and a Queen Anne Chair. Although, he had done it, he did so out of the fear of being locked out of human company. Well, the furniture was re-upholstered and all is fine. He munched through cables for the alarm, destroyed new dog beds, scratched paint off the doors and has dug multiple holes to China in the garden. He chewed all the sofa cushions and I came home to orange snow inside the house. He has his issues, but, has the biggest heart, he is ‘Mr. Sunshine’ in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening.
He is ‘Mr. Sunshine’ all the time and his happiness is infectious. So, because of lots of things but most of all because I couldn’t bear to part with him. I have adopted him. He is staying with me, so I can have Sunshine all the time and he will help me weather the many hurricanes and thunderstorms that are sure to come.”