DIGBY

CURRENT SPONSORS
Rebecca O'Sullivan
Tom Phipps
Sandra Dalmeijer
Frank Guaschi
Sue Protheroe
Pat Arnold
Megan Perry
Renate Nunn
Mrs Eleanor Life
Rosie Bowers
Sue Bugden
Miriam Shaheen
Larry Roberts
Mavis Noakes
Peter Hill
Hilary Cassidy
Eric Wilson


Digby is a beautiful dog, in both looks and temperament, who, unfortunately has simply lost a leg. He has never let his disability bother him although it was clearly the reason why he was abandoned. Digby is now in a wonderful forever home together with lots of other lucky rescued animals and he is totally adored by everyone. Digby is very happy to be a sponsor dog on behalf of all the other dogs who are abandoned because they are no longer considered to be perfect any more and he knows that money he raises will help pay for other dogs like him to be released from cold, lonely pounds, to be transported to the UK, to be treated by vets for any problems they may have and, finally, to end up in wonderful homes just like him.

CATCHING UP

Things with Digby are going brilliantly. He is the dearest of dogs and has really come into his own now, with quite a cheeky little character and he charms everyone he meets.

He had a huge moult back at the end of May/beginning of June and all his handsome locks disappeared, but thankfully it is all grew back and I think is magnificent once more. Anyway, that was only his looks ...... his character was still as beautiful as ever.

Digby and Cleo are the best of friends. They just play and play and play! She really seems totally smitten by him and he by her and its like they have always been together.

Digby and Roger (the cat) are also best buddies now and Roger often lays in the lounge with them during the mornings before I come home at lunchtime. He will sleep in an armchair and Digby is usually on the sofa!

My brother was down with Cousin Barley, who is now a huge hulk of a young male retriever and the 3 of them just played wonderfully together. They had a tendency to move all the lounge furniture during their bundles, obviously to make more of a play area for themselves! Garry has actually decided to have Barley neutered, as he is getting far too interested in bitches and Cleo is unfortunately no exception.

Digby completely knows the routine here now and loves running around the field, chasing rabbits, pheasants or whatever! It is great that they are totally secure and can enjoy a good run around safely. He has got the stream down to an art and goes in the water at any and every opportunity. His recall is terrible and he seems to have caught Cleo’s cloth ear syndrome, despite me working on this. We walk them on extending leads, as Cleo would run off after the first small furry thing and Digby would follow. Also, we’ve round recently that Digby has started having a bit of a go at white vans??? Don’t know if some memory is coming back. Anyway, we just feel they are safer on the leads when out and about and they have all the freedom they need down in the field, so it’s the best solution we feel.

We took them down to Beer about a month or so ago and wondered how Digby would cope on the big pebbly beach, but typical Digby just strode straight over them down to the sea and looked at us as if to say ‘come on, what are you waiting for?’ He loved all the attention (of which he gets masses), although a few just give him a pitied look.

We had to take Digby to the vet recently, as he had been bitten by a tick, it had fallen off and left its jaws in him. Then he went off his food after a few days (not like him) and was really miserable and he had contracted a blood infection from it. We were given a 5 day course of antibiotics for him (a bit against the grain, but we felt it necessary) and he was right as rain after a few days. We saw the Senior vet and he was absolutely fascinated with his scar and the operation he had had. He said that they have only ever removed the entire scapula a couple of times and he said he must have really been badly damaged for the vet to have done that. It would have been a major op and cost an awful lot of money. He was really impressed with his balance (and Digby demonstrated this by putting his front feet up on a chair in the surgery) and was almost in awe of him. It was really nice to get this feedback and a bit of history of what he must have gone through. He said his balance was superb, especially the way he adopted a tripod stance whilst sitting and concluded that he probably didn’t fall over much (which he doesn’t). He said in the long run he was better off having a front limb amputation, as they get less arthritis in the front than the back and he was young enough to cope without it.

The only thing we find is he does tend to roll around a bit in the car, mainly because a 4 legged dog can of course steady themselves in the front, which he can’t. We have decided we’re going to get a van (hopefully a VW Transporter – didn’t you have one of these?) and get some proper kennels made for the back. We think he and Cleo would travel much better this way, so this is something we hope to sort out in the future.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPONSOR DIGBY?
You can apply to sponsor one of our dogs by completing the form below. If you are sponsoring on behalf of someone else, please make sure you fill in their details and their Date of Birth so we can send out birthday cards. Once completed click 'Send Application'.

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