Valentine

Four years ago I found an abandoned puppy on my early morning walk. She had been chucked out of a car and was grazed but otherwise physically unharmed. I found her on Valentines Day during a particularly bleak time in my life and took her to be a Valentine's gift from the Loving God.

So of course I called her Valentine.

She has always been slightly mad and given to crazy rushing about. She particularly hates anything that flies – birds, planes, microlights, butterflies, bees, moths leaves drifting in the air and especially crows. I suspect that in the time she lived on the street she was attacked by these opportunistic birds. If there is something flying about she will chase it barking furiously. If I step out the door she will charge ahead of me barking and eyes on the sky making sure that there is nothing up there that may harm me. She sleeps under my feet in my office, and will occasionally rush up barking at visiting clients. She talks continuously, and is very bright and mostly easy to train … except for the flying thing…. that is not something she will give up watching for.

She hates for me to be out of her sight. And the effects of the abuse show, not physically but in her behaviour.

I think it is true that most people don't really care for her. But I do. She reminds me day after day that God loves me.

Now she has a new challenge to face. In the last four weeks she has had three fits and the vet thinks she has epilepsy. He is loath to give her phenobarbitol unless the fits become very frequent as he says it is a sedative. Now I can imagine that lots of people will think that a sedative on this particular dog will be a good thing but to me it seems that it will change her entirely and she will not be the lunatic dog I know and love so much. If I don't have to I will be glad not to.

However the fits leave her confused and bewildered and not knowing her name almost. And being helpless to protect her or help her is hard. And I am angry that this poor, once abused dog has to suffer some more.

So I watch and wait and pray that God will reveal himself and in the mean time care as best I can for my beautiful dog.