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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE October 2021 19

A lesson in life... from

a stray dog By Paul
Harvey

Abandoned, rejected and beaten, a small dog found a ting for her gold. Meanwhile, like
new life in Dale Abbey and changed mine forever. some proud parent at the school
gates, I’ve taken to boring the pants
off everyone in the pub by going on
don’t know about you but I’ve was hideous. Apart from the bowel in Portugal keep stray dogs for wasn’t going to suffer any intimi- about how clever she is.
I never really liked dogs, in part watering snarling and gnashing of just nine days before putting them dation from the local pooches. So The truth is we’ve become insep-
it’s probably because as a kid razor sharp teeth, you could almost down. Fortunately, and in an act barely five minutes in the village arable and right now she’s in her
we never had one, but my real feel their breath and slaver on your of accidental kindness, whoever and she’d already drawn a line in usual position in her basket under
aversion definitely stems from face. Then one day it happened…. abandoned Nina one night, threw the sand with poor old Cleo down my desk and snoring gently at my
my student days working on the no chains. her over the wall and into the Aeza the road, who in fairness was only feet.
Christmas post round in Risley. At school I was never very good animal shelter. Aeza are a private trying to be friendly. From her But today I uttered a phrase so em-
‘She won’t hurt you, she’s only on the sports field but on that day I organisation run by a lovely British apprehensive expression it was barrassing I can scarcely admit it to
playing’ some old dear would coo could easily have taken an Olym- lady by the name of Kerry Gross obvious that despite being dragged myself let alone put into print. On
pic gold in fence vaulting, all the
and while animals there are fed and
half way across the world she knew
while gazing adoringly at some- my usual dog walking route across
thing resembling a yapping mop on more impressive as not only was I sheltered, it’s not much of a life, that yet again, here was another the fields this morning an unexpect-
a rope. But even after just few days carrying a bulging post bag but two but never ever are any put down, bunch of people who just like the ed runner startled me and caused
rabid farm dogs, one locked onto
no matter how long they’re there.
rest would soon let her down.
on the round I knew better - much Nina to dart forward with curiosity.
better. Dogs are not stupid - they each trouser leg. Perhaps now you There Nina remained for two years A few missing front teeth and the For a split second I’m convinced
can understand why I do not like
before a German couple eventual-
habit of cowering at the slightest
do not bite the hand that feeds some kind of entity took over my
them. However, sling a post bag dogs. ly adopted her, but after eighteen word all told the story, but for all body, because a voice from within
over your shoulder and even the I see a picture of a small dog months cruelly returned her claim- that she had a way of connecting me that just could not have been
with people – drawing them to
ing she was ‘not suitable’. Again
cutest little bundle of fluff and wet Then of course I met my other mine called out, ‘She won’t hurt
nose instantly morphs into a psy- half Jacqui, a dedicated lover of she remained with Aeza for the best her. Maybe as a way of trying to you, she’s only playing’.
convince them not to hurt her, may-
part of another year.
chotic Rottweiler, a ten stone dev- everything on four legs – especially Heading back home I quietly debat-
il-dog that wants nothing more than dogs, and for years I deflected all I don’t know if you believe in be because she craved affection. ed that as I’ve certainly not become
to sink its drooling fangs into your appeals that we should get one. By luck or not but I’ve always had a Whatever the reason it had an effect an ‘old dear’, that leaves only one
theory on the subject and it was on
and before long she’d become quite
throat and tear your still screaming that time of course we had Max alternative. I must have become a
lungs apart on the garden path. our farmyard rescue moggy, so that I found the first smidgen of well known around the village and dog lover.
many a door opened to provide a
commonalty with little Nina, not to
Hope abandoned along inflicting a dog on the old fellow mention a huge chunk of respect. special treat for the little orphan What is not in dispute is that While
with the milk bottles wasn’t the best idea, and so the You see, I believe we are all capa- from Portugal. Nina has found her new forever
home, better still… I have found a
status quo was maintained. Then
You didn’t need sixth sense to it happened… just like the chain ble of making our own luck. Just The tide begins to turn new forever friend.
sitting around waiting for some-
spot the danger houses either. The up at the Nook…something went thing great to happen just doesn’t Of course, even a dog loather like
over large garden gate bearing the wrong. work, if you want to get lucky me wasn’t totally immune to her FOOTNOTE
Before you line the pockets of the
words ‘I live here’ accompanied by ‘I’ve seen this dog on the internet’ then you have to take some sort charms and slowly, little-by-little breeders by buying an expensive
a tasteless depiction of some brute cried Jacs one day and with a level of action to make it happen – do she began to win me over. That said
of a dog with a spiked collar and of excitement and enthusiasm I’d something to kick-start the process she wasn’t all sweetness and light pedigree pet, remember the amount
you pay for just one dog could
an anchor and chain tattooed on never seen before. ‘She’s in an an- if you like, and that was exactly either, especially towards short
its heavily muscled forelegs. With imal shelter in Portugal and no one what Nina did. dark foreign looking men driving save the lives of more then a dozen
homeless strays like Nina. Please
a vast open driveway offering not wants her, she’s the cutest dog I’ve small vans. On several occasions don’t shop – adopt. The love they
a shred of refuge, the words that ever seen and I know she’s looking Fostering – the lucky ones delivery men around the village
allegedly adorn the gates of pur- straight at me, pleading for a new Aeza doesn’t just bundle dogs and had to quickly jump back in their give you for saving them will be
unconditional.
gatory would not be out of place: forever home. I’ve got to have her, cats off the new homes without van to escape the tirade of barking
“Abandon hope all ye who enter here… here’s a picture’, she said first making sure they’ll fit in. They and snarling suddenly launched See https://aeza.org/
here”. pushing her phone under my nose. have a number of volunteers that at them, something that I’m sure PHOTOS:
Not that anyone is going to enter Have you ever seen anything so ‘foster’ each animal for six weeks painted a fairly good description of Top of page: Rejected and unwant-
because as if to emphasize the adorable? in their own home to ensure they’ll whoever it was that threw her over ed Nina spent nearly three years in
folly of even lifting the latch, the I see a picture of a small dog. be a good match with any future the wall into Aeza that dark night this tiny pen before she made her
morning papers, bottles of milk, the Ummm… very nice I manage to owners. Ellen Hoyning is one such five years before. lucky break. Many never make it.
soggy Avon catalogues and iron- say unconvincingly…’but what volunteer and on this particular day It’s fair to say that it wasn’t love Below: (1) Nina’s very first UK
ically, a huge stack of unused air about Max,’ she went to the shelter to choose at first sight with Max either and outing was to the West Hallam
ambulance collection bags – are all ‘Max can look after himself’. the next dog to assess. The last half the feeling was entirely mutual. In ploughing match where a children’s
displayed as mute testimony of the Whoooa, I didn’t see that one com- dozen or so had been small dogs so fact, for months just the sight of riding demonstration seems to have
point where others discovered the ing. This was looking serious. she’d decided the next was going to him saw her straining and shaking caught her attention.
limit of their courage. For the post- I catch sight of Max from the cor- be a big one…at least that was the from head to toe desperate to chase (2) Not scorching hot but some ear-
ie, however, there’s no appeal, by ner of my eye, the look he’s giving plan. You see somehow little Nina, him…and probably much more. ly spring sunshine in the summer
law Her Majesty’s Royal Mail has me says, ‘Man up, you wimp or like some canine Houdini, managed Looking out of my office window house helps make amends for a
to go through the letter box -Corgis we’re both doomed’. to escape from her tiny pen at the towards the end of week one I felt grim British winter.
or not - and all for a 1960’s weekly I faltered. ‘Well…er…..’, Sensing precise moment Ellen opened the compelled to call Jacqui at work.
pay packet of ten bob or fifty pence I was on the ropes there was an main gate. She tore across the bare ‘Jacs, the dog’s just dug a huge
a week, a sum hardly worth death immediate counter…a tirade of yard, launched herself into Ellen’s hole in the garden’.
or disfigurement. body punches. arms, threw her paws around her ‘Whaddya expect, she’s a terrier?’
The canine gauntlet ‘I’ll pay for her to be sent over, I’ll neck and refused to let go. ‘Looks ‘The hole is about the same size as
The Nook is, or was, a farm house walk her, I’ll look after her, I’ll pay like it’s going to be you then’, said the cat’.
‘Umm…we may have to do some
the vets bills, you don’t need to
Ellen before carrying her to the car.
at the top of a track just off Derby have anything to do with her.’ That’s what I mean when I say she work on this.’
Road and beyond its gates was a Faced with such determination and made her own luck and it’s a lesson Two years on and they lay in the
postie trap of fiendish ingenuity. conviction like all sensible blokes we could all learn from on many sunshine side by side on the lawn,
Two grubby kennels, one each side I backed down, two weeks later different levels. not ‘bessie mates’ but tolerant and
of the path and with just enough and after a three day overland trip mutually respectful of each other.
heavy chain to pull up their rabid from Portugal the dog arrived – her A new forever home
occupants only inches short of your name was Nina. Her back-story It was a warm Saturday afternoon Inseparable
legs… provided of course you held even for a dog loather like me was in July 2019 when I turned into Jacqui rarely takes her for a walk
your nerve and didn’t flinch from touching to say the least, but it the village to see Jacqui with the now because that’s my job and
the critical centre line. Usually I didn’t impress Max who by then neighbours and a small dog sitting that’s the way I like it. And it seems
managed to tip-toe past the dozing had taken to spitting on the floor on the pavement. I could tell from you can teach an old dog new tricks
hounds on the way in, only having every time we met. the body language that our canine because being bright as a button
to endure the canine assault on A sanctuary for animals guest was already in the dog house. Nina has already sailed through
the way out and after a creaking Having survived years in the dog- her Kennel Club Bronze and Silver
letterbox had sounded the alarm. It The big-hearted local authorities eat-dog environment of Aeza she obedience awards and is now swot-