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AlfrED

AlfrEDs arrival at Rainbow Bridge

Saturday, 20 November 2010 12:41 administrator

Woof woof NWESSR'ers, here I am for my final blog entry.

This one is a bit different as I am sending it to you from a wonderful place called 'Rainbow Bridge'. This is the place we dogs and other pets go to wait for our 'hoomans' before crossing to the place they called Heaven together. When we are here we no longer have any illness, injury or pain, we just run free in the sunshine whilst we wait. Anyway, before they let me into Rainbow Bridge I had to answer some questions from the big dog at the gate, I think they called him a 'bouncer', he said he was working for DOG and that I needed to let him know all about me - this is how it went:

Q. How did you get here AlfrED?
A. I just drifted here in my sleep on Saturday night after a really good day at the Madhouse. We went to the shoot and then I chased a rabbit in our field with the madhouse crew, before going to bed all snuggled up in our kennel with my duvet after a big tea of mince and my 'night night' biscuit and a cuddle from the Lady & Big dog.

Q. Why did you come here now?
A. Well, I have had a very poorly heart since I was born about 3 years ago. The vet hoomans knew I should not really have lived very long at all as my heart was not technically possible of keeping me alive. But I had the very best of medications and care and I loved to live, so I just kept going, running, jumping, hunting, cuddling and being a true Springer. But last week my little cough started to get a bit more frequent. I still wanted to run really fast with Hilda and the others madhouse spaniels but I could only manage a few times before I had to have a rest. The Lady dog took me to the vet person just to make sure I did not have an illness or anything. They said I looked wonderful but as we knew my heart was completely kaput .They tested my blood which was fine and I didn't have a temperature. So my Lady and Big dog just let me decide when I wanted to come. I was not in any pain or suffering at all. I had such a good day on Saturday, it was 20 months to the day I was adopted by the madhouse. I was feeling good about the world and all the wonderful things I have done. I did not want to get poorly and so I made the decision to come to the Rainbow Bridge now and wait for my hoomans and dog friends in the sun.

Q. Who do you want to see here?
A. Well, there are so many wonderful dogs and pets at the bridge I am looking forward to playing with them all. I am especially excited about meeting the famous madhouse icon, Mighty Max and also my buddy Stitch who came here a few months ago because his heart was poorly, exactly like mine. Then, there is Grandad Ollie, Sir Freddy, Maeve, Tilley and Hector and many more.

Q. Was there a special lady in your life on earth?
A. I am very handsome so obviously all the ladies loved me! But my special girls will always be Princess Hilda and Miss Gladys who taught me about the world of dog and how to be one. Also, I was in awe of Smellie Ellie, she is just the coolest ball catcher in the world!

Q. What did you like to do best?
A. I loved to run and run and run. The hoomans gave me a tune which is called 'Don't Stop me now' because they said the words described me, things like, 'I am an atom bomb I'm out of control'! I also liked to eat and chew bones, dig with Miss Gladys and chase rabbits with Princess Hilda. I loved to learn and do agility with my Lady dog and chase the tennis ball with Miss Ellie and Edgar. I liked to roll around on my bed when my poorly heart ticked me inside and I liked to cuddle my dog friends and my hoomans. I also like to 'sing' to the hoomans just to let them know I was around.

Q. How would you like the hoomans to remember you?
A. As a fighter who lived life to the max at a million miles an hour. A real Springer who gave more than he ever took and as a very happy dog to have lived such a fulfilled and wonderful life despite my heart .

Q. What advice would you give to any hoomans who have a dog with a heart defect?
A. Let them be a dog, don't wrap them in cotton wool. Give the best medications you can afford and respect their choices.

Q. AlfrED, why do the hoomans always make your ED in capitals?
A. Because when the madhouse adopted me I was called Alfie and they always accentuated the 'ED' to make sure I knew my name had changed a little.

Q. Do you leave a legacy?
A. My hoomans will make sure that whenever they can they will raise the profile of rescue dogs and especially those with special needs, physical, medical, mental or behavioural, to encourage hoomans to consider a rescue dog. My meds will go to any dog who needs them and my story will be told to encourage hoomans to adopt life limited dogs that need a home.

Q. Well, AlfrED, you have answered my questions well, are you ready to come to Rainbow Bridge
A. I am ready

Signing off, lots of woofs and licks,

Always,

AlfrED
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Last Updated on Saturday, 20 November 2010 12:55

29th Sept 2010

Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:16 administrator

Dear Spaniel Lovers,

Well I am still here, larger than life and twice and handsome! I am still taking my many medications everyday coated with nice pate or soft cheese but besides that I live a very 'normal' and mad spaniel life in the madhouse. Talking of which, we have a new madhouse now which is in the same place as where we do our agility and play in the fields so it is great - we get up in the morning and are straight out chasing the bunnies and digging for moles! That is Miss Gladys' favourite pastime and I am starting to see the attraction, me and Gladys always have dirty nails and muddy noses! The hoomans are quite tired as apparently moving kennel is a hard job but they did not let us get stressed by it and we had spent so much time here anyway we hardly noticed it was a new place! We have also been to watch the little spaniels doing their agility in lots of different places .

I have had a few go's too, I am pretty fast and awesome to watch but my Mum has to be careful I don't overdo it as it starts off my heart cough. All of the little spaniels have got some red rosettes this summer and the Big Dog has put them all up in our new kennel. I am looking forward to the Autumn as it is the shooting season and that means I get to go and watch Hilda and some of the others work and have a good mooch around the pheasants and ducks myself which I love.
I see there are lots of other lovely dogs that need special homes - I hope they all get homes soon and I will be giving a little woof to each of them.
Lots of licks,
AlfrED

Alfred - 5th August

Sunday, 08 August 2010 10:32 administrator

Dear Folks,

Once again I am late with my update from the madhouse but that is a good thing as it means I am still here. I am a bit sad as my neighbour dog, a big friendly Rottie called Stitch has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. He had the exact same poorly heart problem as me and we took the same medications every day. I shall miss him barking at the passers-by. His hoomans have been very kind and let me have all of his medications to help keep me well until I decide to go to the Rainbow Bridge to see him again.
We have been soooo busy - the hoomans have found us spangles a nice big field not far from the madhouse where we spend loads of time running and playing. The Lady dog does agility with us and the Big Dog plants things in a glass house which grow and then we eat them! We have a thing the hoomans call a tent and sometimes we all stay there in the dark and watch the rabbits running around. There is an old bath which is full of green slimy stuff so when we get hot we just all jump in it. Lady dog makes us have towels in our van then and sometimes we have to have a wash! Miss Gladys and me go digging for creatures but she is better than me and got a thing the hoomans called a 'mole' the other day. I still love running and jumping best of all. We went on our holiday to watch Stanley do some special running and jumping in a big competition and then the Lady Dog let us all have a go. I just ran really fast and jumped in any order and went really fast through the tunnels, wot great fun it was!
Sometimes I go with the Big Dog and Princess Hilda or Ellie to the place the Big Dog calls work. We go for a nice run in the woods and then stay in the car and have a treat or six. Then later, the Big Dog takes us out and we meet the police dogs - I am never such a brave dog then - some of them are scary!
When we get home we tell the others all about it. They have usually had a nice day too, running and playing and doing work with the Lady dog.
Anyway, I am off to the field to see wot is about and I have heard the Big Dog say we are going to the place they call the pub. I like it there!
Woofs and licks,
AlfrED
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Last Updated on Sunday, 08 August 2010 11:41

1st May 2010

Saturday, 01 May 2010 19:26 administrator

Woof woof Hoomans,
Another month or so has flown by. You will know that if you have turned to May on the NWESSR calendar where you will see a very handsome Springer racing through the Spring flowers - do you think he looks happy? Well, if so that is because he is - because he is me! Like all the other handsome and beautiful rescue doglets on the calendar we love our rescue lives and fill them to the utmost!
I have been busy at the madhouse as always. My agility is still fun. I have not done so many classes with lady dog in the winter as I don't get to run so well when we are cramped indoors but we have been going to the field instead to run and jump. I only do about 30 seconds at a time then Lady dog rests me in case I start to cough. But, me and Lady dog have achieved our ambition. I can do 12 weave poles in a row very fast. Sometimes I miss one but always go and try harder and get it right. I can do it now from a jump or another obstacle too. My Lady dog is very proud of me as it is not easy, especially when you are as fast as a collie dog (whatever that is?) like me. We are going to do a training day this month so I can show people how clever I am!

I have also been to the place called work with the big dog. I sometimes go with Ellie. She used to work from this type of place too and go out and find things the nasty hoomans hid or should not have. It is called a Police station and I stay in the car and watch the big dog in his office or I go and help him and then we search for things in the car park or go to the park when he has finished. Sometimes Princess Hilda comes too and we go to the beach on the way to the work place. Then we are usually very tired as we go in and out of the water so we have a nice bone or a chew and chill in the car watching the poor hoomans work until we go running again on the way home.
It is much lighter now so we have even busier days. Master Edgar the gobby wocker still gets us up early but then we go and see our friends the horses and cows in the field next to our garden. They are a bit cheeky as often they try to put their heads over our fence. I don't mind though as apparently they only eat grass and stuff so my bones and yummy food are safe from them. Once we have all said good morning and I have 'emptied my tank' (I do this a lot as I take tablets called directics for my poorly heart, which make the me drink a lot) we go back to bed or in the kitchen to tidy up before we go out. My Lady dog gives me some extra tablets now which she read about as they very natural and could help with my poorly heart. I also have lots of fish and everyday we have a lovely spoonful of cod liver oil or a tablet to keep our joints strong too. Gobby wocker Edgar loves this and often tries to lick mine but I don't let him because I need it as much as he does. This month Stanley is going to do some agility at a thing the hoomans call a competition. He is very good at it but sometimes I think the Lady Dog goes wrong but they always have a great time. I expect I will go and watch him and 'woof' him on to go faster!
Anyway, off for a snooze before some running and jumping.
Lots of licks and woofs,
AlfrED

13th March 2010 "Gotcha Day" !

Sunday, 14 March 2010 15:44 administrator

Well hoomans, Today is a good day as the hoomans have told me it is my 'Gotcha Day' which means I have been at the madhouse for one whole hooman year. This is amazing as when I came the vet people thought I may only stick around a short while due to my poorly ticker. But I am enjoying myself so much being a real Springer that I am still here. I am a good chap and take my many medications twice a day with no fuss and often a little pate or cream cheese! For my Gotcha day walk we went to the woods and river - we all played fetch in the water, except Stanley who is a funny spaniel 'cos he does not like the water.

Ellie is the coolest at getting the ball, Edgar is the loudest , he gets soooo excited, Hilda is a bit rubbish at catching but she is my Princess so I don't care and I am pretty good and sometimes get the ball from Ellie if I am very quick. Gladys likes the water but she is very small with only three good legs, so stays on the edge sometimes and pushes us all back in to entertain herself and then steals the ball!..

I have been very busy as always. Last week the Lady dog could not speak to us as she lost her hooman voice - I thought it was a bit careless of her and wonder where she put it. Anyway, she could still speak with us without talking, as we can follow the whistle and her body movements. Stanley was very clever as he won an agility competition with lady dog when she could not even speak to him! I still love jumping and tunnels and obstacles. I am very fast and think I will give those collie dogs bit of competition. Lady dog has not entered me into any events yet as we are still working on lots of skills. She has to be careful of my little cough when we train as sometimes I get a bit over excited so then she makes me rest and lie still for a while. I am going to see the vet person next week for my annual jabs and a thing called a booster against a very nasty dog illness called kennel cough. At the same time I have to have my man chip renewed - no fish again but the chip will stop my manley bits getting in the way of my fun life! I like the vet place as we gets loads of treats and cuddles. There is a visitor next door - not sure if it is a real dog as it is very small - I heard the hoomans say it was a puppy and made from a thing called a terrier. I have not met him yet but he played a bit with Gladys and Edgar who said he was cool!

Anyway, as it is my Gotcha evening the Big Dog is cooking us some ears from pigs and other yummy dog things so I am going for a quick snooze before the feast begins.

Woof again soon,

Lots of licks,
AlfrED
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Here I am enjoying my Gotcha day fun, racing with Miss Gladys and resting with my Princess Hilda