Clean breaks, new leaves, starting over!
- Penny Mann (Canine)
- Oct 22, 2016
- 3 min read
This week, we have our very first real guest blog! Gina Mann and I met on Facebook... and believe me when I tell you we have one heck of a story of our own to share... in the meantime, we hear from Gina M and her husband David’s dog, Penny.....
My name is Penny and I began my life growing up as a puppy living with a family in Cardiff.
My welsh Mum really loved me – she had four children who sometimes loved me and sometimes didn’t.
Then my Mum got a horrible disease called MS. This made me very sad because it meant that I couldn’t go for walks with my Mum anymore. Mum kept me for a while but eventually decided it wasn’t fair to me. She was upset but realised it was best for me to have a new home. I didn’t know this at the time but I was very poorly due to the stress which I picked up from her. I had lost all my fur, had mange, ear mites and a bad skin condition but through all this I tried to maintain my normal happy, loving self.
Then one day, two new humans visited. It turns out they were going to be my new Mum and Dad, Gina and David.
My new Mum and Dad were living in a motor-home and had recovered enough from the loss of my older canine sister Polly to think about getting another canine friend, but, as they lived in a motor-home, and still do, they didn’t think they could pass the test when people re-homing dogs from their local shelter would come to see if I would have a happy home.
So they had turned to ‘Pre-Loved’ (www.preloved.co.uk) My Dad had seen the picture and liked the look of me. The picture was before my illness so I didn’t look much like that in real life.
Nevertheless, it was love at first sight. I must have looked a right mess what with no fur, mange, dirty and ear mites, but Mum and Dad wanted me. We were soon in the car on the way to my new home. Mum and Dad were worried I would be sad but to be honest, I never looked back!
In Cardiff I had been living in the backyard and I slept in a Wendy House. The food I was fed wasn’t very nice, even though it was Tesco own brand!
I was so happy once we got to my new home. We live on a farm with fields all round. I love my twice daily walks.
On my first visit to the nice vet, he told Mum that she was very brave taking me on! He was taken aback at my appearance. However, once I was started on a course of treatment and proper food, well, I was like a spring chicken again!
So I am now 14.5 and still going strong. My Mum feeds me with a daily shot of Aloe Vera gel which is helping keep my skin and fur in great condition, it helps me with my joints and gives me energy. People just can’t believe how old I am!
NOTE FROM EDITOR: I love Penny’s story and it really resonates with me how important it is to take advantage of fresh starts - our dogs are in the hands of others when it comes to clean breaks and new beginnings, but we humans, well we just have to give ourselves permission and go for it....we can tell ourselves a million reasons why we can’t, why we aren’t ready, that some-one would disapprove, or it would all go wrong.......but just imagine if it all went right like it did for Penny.... so tell me, what does you fresh start look like? And please don’t hold the dreams back...remember only you are holding yourself back from anything!
It sounds like Penny was at rock bottom - most of us really don't need to let it go so far... and if I can be so cheeky, Gina asked for professional help for Penny from a vet..... you may well benefit from a professional coach or mentor!
Do get in touch if you have comments or if you or your pooch would like to guest blog just like Penny has.
In the meantime....be your brightest star xxxxxxxx
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