P-L-E-A-S-E take me home with you!
This story in pictures begins with the photo of our Kelly, who was still ‘Wendy’ at the animal shelter when this heart-rending photo was taken. ‘Wendy’ was all signed up and paid for, when her new mother to be had an accident and was unable to go ahead with the adoption. Unlucky lady… but oh SO lucky us!
Kelly stole our hearts just as her namesake Ned Kelly stole hearts and a whole lot else in the mid-1800′s. Mainly this was because she is almost a mirror image of our much beloved Trixie, who died of a mysterious poisoning a couple of years ago. In the last day or so since Kelly came home with us, I have photographed some similar moments that these two beautiful little souls have shared. Just look -
Trixie in her prime
Kelly… 6 months old
As I keep saying – not a mirror image, but extremely close. Of course, we knew Trixie from when she was just 4 weeks old, so we can easily visualise her at 6 months… Kelly’s age now.
Big sister Muffin… with Trixie
Big sister Muffin and Kelly
Dearest Muffy is 11 years old now, which is about 77 in human years. She deserves and demands respect – especially from this crass newcomer, and is teaching this small whirlwind some manners… and just exactly who is the boss. I missed a photo opportunity earlier when hubby Kanute took both dogs for an early morning check of our cattle. It was questionable who was more curious – Kelly or the cattle. ALL were tremendously interested in each other.
Now Kelly has added cow poo to the delights of a farm diet, having already cleaned Kanute’s rubber boots of chook poo. “Hmm… delicious,” she seems to say, licking her lips most heartily. Will the antibiotics she is on whilst recovering from her desexing cancel out such questionable treaties? Who knows? And after a lifetime of doggies eating all manner of things, actually… who cares? Personally, we believe such recycled fodder makes for stronger constitutions. Questionable and arguable as this may be, our dogs have lived for up to 14 years (and that one was a German Shepherd… who was well until the day she died), so if it’s not something in the air, or on the ground, you tell us!
This is Kelly just a short while ago, resting after a frenzied circuit of the back garden, the garage (twice around the car each time) – and the whole thing repeated three times… just because she can!
And on that farm, she found a bone… yippee-i-yippee-i-yay!
Shh, we won’t tell the vet who told us to keep her quiet for the first week, maybe locked up in a small room, like my Laundry. Sorry vet, that room would have been torn apart by this super-charged babe. Our unshakeable stand is that working dogs are different. They heal with exercise and a belief system that says there are two speeds in Life – full steam ahead, and full stop. Well-ll that’s how Kelly views her life… and who are we to argue? This is one happy little girl. We wouldn’t have her any other way.
Welcome to our family, Kelly the Kid!
Christine
