As I was packing away our wardrobe today for our new adventure I lifted my dressing gown and held it to my face. It's starting to ware thin but it still has a slight scent of cigarette smoke and wet dog . It took me right back to a time in my life.
When I was growing up I always ALWAYS wanted a dog. My parents had a dog called Sarah when my sister and were born and she passed away when I was 5 or 6. We had cats, but I've never been into cats. Besides, they were my sisters.
When I was about 11 my parents got my younger brother a dog for his birthday. It was a mix of emotions. I was so annoyed that he got a dog, but at the same time I was so excited to have a dog in the house. The excitement out weighed the annoyance. She was an old English sheep dog, just like Sarah was. We called her Shamozzle. As time went on I felt like she was my dog, she slept in my room and I knew I loved her the most.
I should mention my brother was only 7, and he did adore her.
But I felt like she was mine.
She was a pretty energetic dog, but we had a massive back yard and we played with her most days. I remember one time she was on heat and my parents told me she couldn't sleep in my bedroom, but I covered my floor in magazines and let her sleep there anyway. It turns out this would be one of her last nights with us.
Unbeknown to me, Shamoozle had been showing tendencies of a nasty streak. She was very angry, and my parents questioned to breeders as to why. Then got no answer. Unfortunately this streak mixed with heat was a recipe for disaster and heart break.
She attacked someone. And it was pretty nasty. And she was not calming down. And the vet said she's probably snapped and she's what they call a dangerous dog. So my parents made the hard decision to put her to sleep. There were so many reasons, we were young, she was so big, we lived opposite a school, they couldn't risk it happening again if they gave her away. They had to do it. But I was devastated. I begged them not too. I said I would fix her. But she couldn't be fixed, as we would later find out. The breeders had known of a nasty steak in their dogs but continued to inbreed the dogs to keep them "pure". This just enhanced the streak.
I just remember being so devastated I couldn't move. I loved her so much, she was my first real pet. I never wanted to get out of bed again. My Dad came in and he was devastated too and we cried together. Then my Mum, the brave one, took us all into our local shopping centre to take our minds off it.
It was that day that she purchased my sister and I the dressing gowns. I got the Cookie Monster and my sister got Elmo. I don't know if she's still got hers, but I still adore mine.
About a year after we lost Shamozzle we were shopping two days before Christmas. We lived on a farm at the time and my Dad wanted a golden retriever. On that day we walked past a pet store and for some reason we went in. That's when I saw Eevee, a Maltese Shitzu. I begged, and I begged, and I begged. But Mum knew Dad wouldn't want a small dog, plus it was two days before christmas and his business was exceptionally busy so there was no way she'd get through to him on the phone. Her phone rang. Dad had finished work early and was coming home, "oh and by the way Cas has fallen love with a dog. It's very cute. Yes, I know. Yes. Really? Okay, she'll be so excited. See you soon."
And that's when we went and got Eevee. Named for the Pokemon and her homing day (Christmas eve eve). She was a loyal friend for eleven years. Pandora and her had a very funny relationship, but Panda certainly copied everything she did and now is very much like her. Sadly last year we said goodbye to Eevee. My dressing gown still smells like a mix of her and Pandora, (with subtle hints of Oliver).
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| Pandora, Eevee, and a very pregnant me just weeks before Eevee left us. |
It's funny how certain things evoke such vivid memories and can take you on such a wonderful, heart wrenching, journey down memory lane.
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