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One Man and His Dog

The Mistress is in bits. This is not good.

One of her friends gave her a copy of Dogs Today magazine, which she sat down to read, cover to cover, on the long train journey home. First, it's The Labrador Rescue Trust's 20th birthday this year, and, quite frankly, this wonderful charity deserves all the publicity it can get. Yes, I am biased but if you are thinking about getting a Labrador, why not consider a rescue one? The best dogs are!!! Only joking! You can see the article here

But, there was also a piece by my favourite vet, Bruce Fogle, referring to the loss of his dog, Macy. This was a massive shock; Macy is younger than me. Anyway, Bruce wrote an amazing piece for The Independent, which you can read here BUT BE WARNED, there will be tears. That's why the Mistress is in bits. Bruce Fogle is an amazing vet and a deeply compassionate human being; I am very lucky to have been treated by him. It was when he described burying his dog that was too much for the Mistress:

"Mock me if you must, but I buried with her all the lost tennis balls that she'd found in the park during the previous month and proudly carried back to the car, 11 of them."

This year I will be 12 - it sounds so young - but for a dog that's beginning to be old age! I know the Mistress thinks about my passing, a lot. Only in the way that she utterly dreads it. But in the meantime, I'm here, enjoying life, still me, just ever so slightly more eccentric. And less energetic - unless snacks are involved, of course.

Disgraced Tory MP, Derek Conway, Is A (Fat) Cat Man

So, Derek Conway, suspended Tory MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, has been caught out. His sons have, apparently, been paid hefty sums for doing not very much. The story is running and running because, of course, it's British Taxpayers' money that has been funding the Conway Family Firm.

I don't know what to make of it all but here's a thing; did you know Mr Conway once headed the cat charity, Cats Protection (or CPL - Cats Protection League, as it was known then). His tenure was short and sweet; or was it? Why did he leave? Did he jump or was he pushed? I think we should be told.

Questions, questions, questions! So, given that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, let's hope that this incident is not a return of the Tory Fat Cats. That would NEVER do!!! Surely, Dave aka Mr Cameron would not stand for it.

In the meantime, I can't help thinking what might have been if a former dog charity boss had been caught but then again, it just wouldn't have happened.

Woof Woof

What about Inca? Ben Fogle's Extreme Dreams

The Mistress has discovered Sky+, which allows her to watch all sorts of programmes that she would never be able to see in 'real time'. Ben Fogle's Extreme Dreams is one such item.

Apparently, this series is already halfway through but she heard those Loose Women talking about it today and she decided to tape it! Well, Sky+ it!

I think she liked it but I found myself wondering where the dogs were! I've got to come clean, I have met Ben Fogle (oh yes) and his dog, Inca. She and I used to frequent the same park. We have met them several times, even in the pre-Castaway days when Inca was a puppy (and SOOO cute, if I say so myself)! Mr Fogle junior (I know his dad, Bruce Fogle, too - he's the Mistress's hero!) is lovely - he always made a fuss of me - so I won't her him dissed!

Anyway, my concern about all his adventures is...what about Inca? I know she's looked after and gets on well with his wife's dog, Maggi (all documented on his website) but surely man and dog need to be together?!

But Ben has important work to do - he has to help people realise their dreams and, sadly, there is no room for his black Labrador. This time! I hope Inca will come back on our screens soon; I think she could use her own canine charm to good effect.

Woof Woof

PS Tomorrow I am going to write about a new dog blog I have found (well, they found me). And I am very happy to discover they are linked to one of the Mistress's favourite charities, Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Are you a "twitcher"?

Roll up, roll up, it's the Big Garden Birdwatch, organised by the feathered friends' best friends, the RSPB.

Basically, you spend an hour in your garden or balcony and check out just how many tweeters you clock. Sounds easy enough to me and it's a guarantee that Jeremy Clarkson will rant about the results!

Last year, nearly half a million people took part and they counted 6,000,000 birds (from 236,000 gardens)

I'm doing my own version of birdwatch. The neighbours' cat tends to come into our garden all the time so any birds are at risk. So, I just run around barking, banishing her from my turf. Trouble is, she keeps coming back. Cats are like that; they think they are superior but, let's face it, top dog is...top dog!

Woof Woof