Ray-Ray

“Ray”
German Shepherd-Collie mix (with a touch of Lab, and a hint of Ridgeback)
Age 14 and 7 months
Otherwise known as: Ray-Ray, Rayster, Cabaret Ray, Big Nose, Little Miss Sunshine, Princess, Lumpy.

To be honest, before “owning” Ray, I was a little sceptical of people’s affection for animals. I would dismiss all that ‘man’s best friend’ stuff, and when I heard stories of how upset people were when their dogs died, my reaction was often “it’s only a dog, what’s the big deal?”.

I think it comes from growing up in a family without a full-time dog, with a father who didn’t like, or didn’t want dogs, and a mother who did want them, but who had a traditional English attitude that dogs should have their place.

Well, having looked-after Ray for 10 years, I now understand how attached people get, and how upset they are when an animal passes (“pet” is such a stupid word). It is a crushing experience, and I currently feel more overwhelmed and tearful even than when my Dad died, as silly as it is to compare.

Part of this is shock. I thought we would have her for a few more months, perhaps even a year. Though she had a medical episode last week, she was still lively the last few days. When I walked her yesterday, she was pulling as hard as ever.

People liked Ray, and she liked them – perhaps more so than other dogs. We had countless encounters with strangers, because people wanted to stroke her, and Ray always wanted to ingratiate herself (she had this thing about backing into people to get her arse rubbed).

She had a default big-doggy grin, so people lighted up when they saw her. I felt proud to walk the streets with her, because so many people would point to her and remark after her. It was like going around with an expensive model, someone everyone admires.

I’ll miss her most because she was up for anything. There was never a time you would leave the house without her wanting to come with you. And, once out, she was always happy to walk further, and experience everything you did. She was also incredibly welcoming when you came home. Whatever crap had happened, there she was, her tail wagging, her nose nestled in your thigh.

Life goes on, yeah. But I do feel sad, and a bit miffed, today. I wish we had her for longer. It’s not going to be same.

Tagged as: man's best friend