Bella the border collie

www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk
Friday, October 17 2014 Brighton & Hove Independent 17
@BrightonIndy
¨ Give a dog a home
Br ighton & Hove
Independent
Bella the border collie
Ever the community newspaper, Brighton & Hove Independent has teamed up with New Priory
Vets, Vets 2 Home, and Dogs Trust Shoreham to help find homes for some of Brighton and
Hove’s unwanted dogs.
Each week the paper will feature a different dog currently awaiting rehoming.
About Bella:
Bella is an 18 month old female Border Collie and she is such fun!
She is a very sweet and affectionate dog when she knows you and
loves nothing more than to have cuddles. However, she can be shy of
new people, so her trainer is working on introductions with her.
Bella needs an adult only home and cannot live with cats or small furries, but she could live with
another playful dog.
She love, love, loves her toys and is very puppy like when she plays with them. Bella also enjoys her
food and chews, so her trainer is pairing meal times with mental stimulation to keep her mind busy.
Bella needs to be exercised in quiet locations, so it’s essential that owners have a car and a garden.
New owners will need to be willing to learn and have an interest in dog training and who can go the
extra mile.
Can you offer Bella a home? If you can, call the Rehoming Centre on 01273 452576. Information on all animals in need of a new home is online at: www.dogstrust.org.uk.
Senior pet parenting:
our furry ‘children’
Susan Gregersen
Vets2Home
Being a parent is one of the
most rewarding and amazing
experiences we as humans
could ever hope to achieve
in this one short life. Stop
right there, actually I don’t
mean parenting those little
mini adults with a smooth
skin exterior - I mean being a
parent to one of those lovely
furry ones; mainly a canine,
a feline or even a lagomorphs
type (aka a rabbit) and smaller
varieties of rodents that serve
in this divine role. Because sharing a special
bond with one such furry
‘child’ is really what life is all
about in my slightly biased
opinion, having indeed made
my childhood love-interest my
professional work. Well ok, I
will make a compromise - it’s
what life is also about. As an all-time animal lover
myself, I know that the most
rewarding relationship one
could ever be lucky enough
to experience, is being a pet
parent.
The ultimate difference
to parenting a furry one
versus a skin type (as one
of my American colleagues
affectionately refers to her
personal mix of both types)
is the heart-breaking fact
that the life expectancy
of our furry ‘children’ is
so much shorter than our
own. Their sad demise
and ultimate departure
is part and parcel of the
relationship we share. As a geriatric and palliative
care end-of-life vet that
specialises in helping elderly
or terminally ill pets and
their families say a peaceful
goodbye at home, I know only
too well that the most difficult
time we as pet families can
ever face, is the time when we
have to say goodbye. Fortunately, often we have just
a little bit of time to try and
prepare for the forthcoming
but inevitable heartbreak.
Knowing time is running out
potentially releases some
of the most precious and
memorable times we can
ever spend with our special
companion - whether just
hours, days or even a few
weeks or months. I hold a very special place in
my heart for these wonderful,
innocent creatures and I truly
believe they most definitely
deserve a peaceful and gentle
end, without pain or worry.
And is best done at home,
surrounded by loved ones
when the time is right - and
not before. This is surely
one huge last gesture of our
love - giving them the “gift of
peace” when they need it most
- and before uncontrollable
suffering sets in. In the coming months, it is my
hope to share many wonderful
stories and ‘parenting’ tips
for these precious senior
animals and I would welcome
any questions, comments or
worries you may have being a
senior pet parent.
Helping families to have a
happy as-long-as-possible
end, leading to only happy
memories, is my ultimate
mission as a geriatric and endof-life specialist vet - having
had my own soul awakened
many times ever since I had
my first “furry” love. Susan Gregersen is chief
veterinary surgeon, managing
director and co-founder of
Vets2Home veterinary service,
which offers geriatric &
palliative end-of-life and inhome euthanasia services.