Rhani Jefferey

OUR TINY GIRL HAS GONE (11.3.2022)

On Friday 11th March, it was the end of an era when our beautiful Tiny Girl went to join all the rest of the gang who have gone but are never far away from us. Ricky and Eddie and all her IRR brothers (Danny, Gizmo, Sprocket, Mossie, Freddie and Georgie) will have been lined up to greet her at Rainbow Bridge together with many of the foster dogs who she helped to rehabilitate over many of her years with us. We are going to miss her more than words can say.

A recent vet check had shown her to have a good strong heart and healthy joints but, unfortunately, she began to have vestibular episodes which increased in their nature each time. On 10 th March, she had another one which was particularly bad to the point she didn’t want to eat or drink and could barely stand. Although she did improve quite a bit by the next day, she had become in grave danger of suffering so that awful decision had to be made.

Fortunately, her appetite for her favourite treats had returned so she was able to enjoy her Manuka honey, Greek yoghurt and even slices of Steve’s best ham. Strangely, after a lifetime of feeding a varied raw diet, she had suddenly turned her nose up at it in favour of a highly processed kibble which, obviously, smelled much stronger to her!

Our lovely, kind and gentle vet, Roger, came at 3.30pm. Although she loved him, she barely acknowledged him and by 3.35pm she was gone. He said she was definitely ready to go. We then made her final journey to Companions Haven in Bristol. Her ashes will join all the others under the bench at the top of our field. We are awaiting two saplings from the Woodland Trust which we will plant up near the bench at the top of the field at the same time.

OUR PRECIOUS GIRL IS HOME (19.3.2022)

Pauline tells us “Our little lady has come back home with us where she belongs. The people at Companions Haven, as always, were kindness itself but Tiny’s loss has been almost unbearable despite the support of so many kind and thoughtful people who have sent beautiful cards, flowers and messages of condolence.

Thankfully, our wonderful vet, Roger, also took the time to send us a lovely, very reassuring letter which meant so much to us, especially so as the weather became really beautiful after Rhani’s passing, just how she always preferred it, and this was making me really wobble and question our decision even more but, deep down, I always knew it was definitely our little girl’s time, with each vestibular episode being worse than the one before, and her life could only have become an existence for her which just couldn’t be.

We know our precious Tiny is at peace and free from any unnecessary suffering now. It is just us who, as always, must bear all the heartache and pain but we accept that is the price we all have to pay for their unconditional love of us and ours of them. A friend told me recently that he read a quote which is so very true. There is nothing difficult to having a dog in your life apart from the day you have to say “goodbye”.

As always, our little girl came back in a green scatter box accompanied by a lock of her hair and her paw print for us to keep forever as well as an engraved daisy marker to go with her to the field when she leaves the special remembrance corner to take her place under the memorial bench.

We also had a beautiful Photobox canvas of her made. When she goes to her final resting place, it will join the pictures of her brothers on the wall above where her ashes reside at the moment.

HAPPY MEMORIES (24.3.2022)

“Today, our baby girl would have been 15yrs old and now all we have are our memories but how good are they? We know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives for so many wonderful years.

Although “fostering” her, we knew from day one she would be staying. She was a breath of fresh air and an immediate pal for our one of a kind, crazy Gizzie who had been unjustly accused of being a really bad boy.

She was a wonderful foster sister to so many although woe betide any of them who tried to distract her when she was running the width of the field as fast as any Whippet could. Not one could ever keep up.

She was the perfect back-up to our very gentle “pipe and slippers” Danny who was always the first to welcome any frightened newcomers to our home especially the ex-breeding bitches and disabled dogs who needed extra special care. Tiny was especially good with the “naughty” boys, several of whom stayed with us forever because their bad reputations stopped them going to “normal” homes. She was always up for rough and tumble play with them but she also ruled with a paw of iron if they tried to overstep the mark.

We used to call her “Tiny” simply because it was a much gentler name to say than her official one and she was, by far, the smallest of all our dogs when compared to the very much bigger boys but, what she lacked in size, the more she made up for in strength and determination. She was full of fun but also extremely loyal, gentle and kind especially as her brothers aged and she felt they needed her more than ever. She stayed with them until the end and checked them thoroughly, head to toe, once they were gone.

She would snuggle, comfort and share her love for them. I remember well when she refused to leave the side of her elderly non-IRR brother, dear old Eddie shortly before his peaceful passing in June 2014.

She very much enjoyed her holidays but always preferred her runs in safe enclosed fields to any beach activities. Waves were definitely not her thing and the feel of sand beneath her paws was a definite no no. Home was always most definitely where her heart was and our field was her favourite place in the world but it was also always somewhere that she was happy to share with her many friends, human and doggy.

Our Tiny was a funny little thing, a one-off, for sure. Her passing marks the end of a wonderful era for us.

I’m not quite brave enough to totally let her go yet but, after a few more days, we will lay her ashes to rest under the bench at the top of our field together with those of friends and all the brothers she adored.

Ollie is quite a clingy boy who loves his cuddles so he is being a great comfort to me but, as he can also be as mad as a box of frogs, he is also being absolutely brilliant at bringing smiles back to our faces”.

SUMMER 2021 BROUGHT A NEW FRIEND FOR RHANI

“Sadly, Ferdie and Georgie both had to leave us for Rainbow Bridge but the amazing Rhani was still going strong (at 14yrs). She had acquired a new IRR friend “naughty boy” Ollie for company. He was almost 8yrs old and a Labrador x Golden Retriever who was supposed to be dangerously out of control but all we found was a very scared and confused boy who, thankfully, instinctively trusted us both immediately probably due to our wonderful Tiny having a word in his ear.

He was a real breath of fresh air after some heartbreaking times. He, clearly, still thought and acted like a hyperactive puppy, although one in a rather large body, and he was simply misunderstood. Despite being the smallest and the only female in the pack, Tiny has always made it her role to be the boss over the boys, being second in command only to her Mum so, as always, she made it quite clear to her new brother that she was Boss Lady Number Two. She managed to do this in subtle ways as she aged more and more and no longer fancied play fighting and bitey face with Ollie as she had always done with her besties in the past. Sent to us by the angels, for sure, Ollie really was exactly what Rhani and I both needed to perk us up.

Although she was, by then, already an older lady, who was spending much of her time cuddled up snoring on one of her many beds, she still had an amazing turn of speed and still loved nothing better than to run free in our field. I will always remember her total joy. We will never forget her”

ORIGINAL HISTORY

RHANI was probably about 9mths old when she came to IRR and went into foster with Steve and Pauline. She is probably a black Lab x Whippet judging by her shape and the speed with which she can move. She was an unwanted stray but she is now spayed and microchipped.

She is very affectionate and gets on very well with other dogs. She loves to play or just cuddle up with them. She totally ignored a cat when she came face to face with it.

Pauline said “She is very loving and cuddly. She is very loyal and prefers to be with you if she can. Amazingly, she seems to be bombproof with vacuums and other household noises but she is a bit timid of new situations. She settles well in a crate and always cries to go out for toilet.

Negative points………she does still jump up but she is as light as a feather compared to all our. other big lumps, she does mouth a bit but, fortunately, in a gentle way, and she would, no doubt, chew things, if given the opportunity. She is housetrained but a new owner would need to be vigilant as it is, clearly, all new to her. In other words, she is a typical happy go lucky puppy.

UPDATE ON RHANI

Pauline says “Well, I’m afraid we have done it again……we are failed fosterers for the 5th time!!“

Our biggest excuse is that it was Christmas-time when she came so we were committed to several weeks of fostering and especially so as she bore absolutely no resemblance whatever to a Golden Retriever (much as Gizmo hadn’t) and as time wore on, we became totally smitten with this adorable little lady.

“Rhani and Gizmo (our 2006 failure) get on like a house on fire and, both being hound crosses, they will run and run and run. Fortunately, we have a safe, private field where this is possible and it would be something that Rhani would find it very hard to do without.”

“She is a cheeky little madam and she has brought new life to dear old Danny (our 2005 Irish failure). She is also loved to bits by Ricky & Eddie (our English failed foster brothers from 2001 and 2004)……….oh dear, what are we like!! “

“Rhani has made lots of new doggy friends to regularly run with, including Lola and Sammy (Lynne’s IRR dogs) and she goes to training classes with her other very special Irish friends, Connie and Millie McAvoy.”

“The original plan had been to buy my husband, Steve, something for his computer in the sales as his Christmas present but he totally fell for Rhani’s charms and asked if I would consider adopting her for him instead. I, of course, didn’t need asking twice and we are both delighted to have substituted a boring old electronic gadget for a delightful 4 legged pressie instead”.

UPDATE 29.1.2013

UPDATE 29.1.2013

Rhani says “Can you believe it was 6yrs ago that I came over from Ireland as a 9mth old pup and Ma took me under her wing? I have become her right-hand woman in an otherwise male-dominated house but, don’t worry, we are the bosses.”

Here is me with Ferdie, one of my favourite partners in crime.

“I also thought you might like to see me chilling with my little brother, Georgie. He’s the bestest cushion in the whole wide world and is always a very willing snuggle bunny.”

“Yawn ………. it’s SUCH a hard life here!!!!!!!!!!! “