15 Years With My Loyal Friend

I mostly write about being a parent but every now and then I like to include other aspects of my life too and before becoming a Mum my first ‘baby’ in my life was Molly, my border terrier. Today marks a special occasion as it is 15 years since I first clapped eyes on an energetic 7-month-old who needed a new home. It didn’t take much to win me over. She bounded into the house from her awful concrete run in the garden and leapt on me, licking me like crazy. She was so full of beans and personality that I just knew right then that she was the right dog for me.

I had worked in a kennels from the age of 16 until 19 and then went on to train as a Veterinary Nurse. I had plenty of knowledge of most breeds and had been drawn to the border terrier because of its energy, its feisty nature and loyalty as well as their lack of ailments… always a good area to look into when buying a breed. As soon as I got the green light from my Mum that I could finally get a dog I didn’t hang around.

Molly was being advertised in the freeads paper due to the fact that she had been a present for someone’s daughter and she’d moved away for work. There was absolutely no way that I would leave any little dog living in the conditions she was and I very quickly paid for her and came away with a very stinky, flea-ridden pup, with long claws and dirty ears who had already fallen in love with me… and me with her.

After a check-up with the Vet I worked for, she was quickly spayed, microchipped and her vaccinations started. A good bath and flea treatment had her feeling so much better and this was the start of our life together and we were inseparable!

No matter what I’ve been through, Molly has been there, the most significant event being the loss of my Mum. Molly was a companion that I could rely on. She was a reason to get up out of bed each day and a distraction when I was feeling depressed… this is true even now when I am having a down day. Her instincts have always been spot on and if I am upset or crying she will come to comfort me by laying her head on my lap. Over the years we have had house moves, changes in jobs, lost family members, lost other pets and had the arrival of Jake and she has been by my side through it all.

She has provided me with years of love, loyalty, fun and friendship and I cannot believe we have made it to 15 years and she is still going strong- except for slight arthritis in her right shoulder which has reduced her walks but she rarely shows her age and will still happily run, fetch a stick and go swimming.

I can’t even begin to imagine my life without her and I often panic about the day when we all have to say goodbye but I wouldn’t change a thing. She has had such a positive impact on my life and I owe her so much.

AD- Dogs are important in so many ways and Puppyspot have provided this information for my readers: