escue Dog of the Year

by Coliburn Sirius (Rusty)

Since I came to live with Mum 14 months ago we've done lots of exciting things together, puppy classes, making new pals, moving house and so on; but I thought I'd tell you about something that happened just a few weeks ago, and left us all a bit shaky - especially Mum.

It was a lovely day. Mum, Auntie Deb, Raffles and Hattie (my two best pals) and yours truly decided to go for a walk along by some watery stuff called a canal. The sun was shining, and as we ran about enjoying the sniffs, it got hotter and hotter. Like anybody else, I like a good slurp when I'm hot, but every time I went towards the watery stuff for a drink Mum shouted "No, leave", and I had to come away. It was a bit much, and by the time we turned for home I was getting really thirsty. Perhaps if I crouched right over the edge I could sneak a drink and no-one would notice, the only problem was - it was a long way down to the water. They saw me, of course, and "No, leave" came again. As I started to get up, one of my front feet slid on the grass, and very, very slowly I rolled over, and SPLASH, in I went. I must admit it felt nice and cool, but it smelt and tasted disgusting (something called 'chemicals' they said later). I came up paddling after the first shock, and Mum and Auntie Deb called me to swim further up to where they could help me out. So, off I paddled, and they told me what a good boy I was, so I tried my best.

All of a sudden my fur filled with water, and my back end sank and wouldn't come up again. I tried hard with my front legs, but I just kept going under, again and again, lower each time - I was feeling quite scared, I can tell you. I could see Mum getting upset, but she couldn't reach me. Then, suddenly, Auntie Deb climbed in with me. Was I glad when she reached out and grabbed my neck and held my head above the water, now I could relax! I thought it was all over then, but there seemed to be some problem about how we were going to get out - Mum and my two pals looked a long way up, and I'm a big lad to lift. (About 8 stone! Ed.) While they were making plans a nice GSD came along with her Mum, and I felt two leads looping round my neck and a hand being buried in my fur in a rather personal place. There were mutterings of "throttling or drowning", whatever that is, Auntie Deb shouted "1, 2, 3" and pushed, and Mum and the GSD lady pulled. It was all very uncomfortable for a second or two, but then I felt grass under my front feet and with a good scrabble I was back on the tow path. It was so undignified, I shook and gave them all a good wetting.

I thought they'd do the same for Auntie Deb, but perhaps the leads wouldn't fit, and there was no-one to grab her fur and push! It got much more interesting, though. Some cars called 'Police' and 'Ambulance' arrived - seems the lock keeper man had sent for them - and they didn't have any trouble getting her out, although they laughed a lot.

Pity they hadn't been there earlier, I might not have fallen in at all.

Afterwards, everybody had a good laugh about it - I didn't think it was all that funny, I was still thirsty! I think the worst thing was when I got home, what do you think happened? Love, fuss, bones for comforting a poor half-drowned dog? Not on your life - they bathed me!!

October 1994

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