Birds Of A Feather

Today I decided to jump on a bus to Portobello, however, the bus I jumped on terminated at the old Eastern General Hospital (where I was born incidentally) so my choice was either to stay on the bus and go all the way back into town and get on another bus or get off and walk. I decided on the latter.

On my wander to Porty, I passed the Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home. If you've never paid a visit to the Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home, you'd need to have a heart of stone not to be affected by all the lost and abandoned little inmates. The last time I was there, I was about 19 and I only went in out of curiosity but was so affected, I ended up choosing a little black and tan puppy who was eventually to be christened Butch. All the other little puppies were excitable and happy but poor little Butch just sat with his back to me. How could I resist such a sad little boy! When the day came for me to go and collect him and take him home, I suddenly realised I had "forgotten" to mention Butch's impending arrival to my mum and dad. I figured my best course of action was tears as my dad never could stand to see me cry and, thanks to my womanly wiles, Butch was allowed to stay. When he was a puppy, Butch had the look of a German Shepherd about him but when he grew up a little, his legs didn't and this meant he ultimately looked more like a sausage dog. He also had a very bad underbite which meant his lower jaw stuck out past his upper jaw and he had a bit of a boss eye. He also used to get a little over excited when people came to visit and this often meant there was a little puddle on the floor. Sadly, at the age of about 2, my little Butch suffered quite a violent fit and had to be put down. I remember he was rushed to the vet in the morning whilst I had to go to work. He was put down almost immediately and my mum and dad didn't tell me until I came home that evening. I was more than a little heartbroken to say the least.

I think about him to this day remembering how I adored his odd little looks and his loveable, happy ways. His life may have been short but it was sweet and he was loved immensely by us all.

The Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home do a great job so here's a link to their website. If you can give a dog/puppy or a cat/kitten a good home, please pay them a visit but if you're not in a position to do so, please consider a small donation instead. Please also remember that owning an animal is a huge responsibility and not one that should be taken lightly so think carefully before committing.

Ps This was not the only time I arrived home with a suprise puppy but that's another story for another day.

PPs The image on this blip was taken next to the Cat and Dog Home and that's the only connection