The Hounds of Love
We got our two German Shepherd dogs three years ago from an RSPCA Animal Shelter, and it was love at first sight.
When we arrived at the shelter it seemed eerily quiet we were to discover it was actually closed due to an outbreak of ringworm and we shouldn’t really have been on the premises! However, we did get a chance to look at the picture folder they had at reception which showed the dogs they had waiting to be re-homed. We were looking for two dogs and there was only one pair available, Rottweilers, at the time we didn’t know much about the breed and they just didn’t seem to be ‘the ones’ so reluctantly we agreed to leave it and come back when they had officially re-opened.
As we were leaving I spotted the ‘Desperately Seeking a Home’ notice board and there in among the pictures of goats and other seemingly difficult to home creatures was a picture of Simba and Sabre (who we have since re-named Ursa) staring out at us – bingo they were the ones and we fell in love with them on the spot. It felt like an eternity before the shelter re-opened and we got to meet the dogs, I spent the whole time fretting that someone else would pip us to the post and take them home. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and we were called in to meet them before the formal adoption process.
They were both ‘mad as hatters’ and had gone stir-crazy at being in the shelter so long. German Shepherds are devoted and loyal dogs to their owners and we noticed that they had formed a very strong attachment to the volunteer who looked after them on a daily basis, happy enough as they were to meet us, their eyes followed the volunteer everywhere she went and this made me feel a little bit jealous. We also had to undergo a home inspection to see if we would make suitable dog owners, and we were very relieved to pass. So we signed the forms, they came home with us and we have never looked back. They are my hounds of love and I couldn’t live without them.
On Thursday the 25th of October 2007 Simba was put to sleep as he had a chronic condition that was starting to make him suffer – my heart is broken and it feels like it might never mend. Goodbye old faithful.
