Rescue Dogs

This morning I was pottering about, half listening to Radio Four as I had breakfast, made another cup of tea, that type of thing, when I heard someone talking about her rescue dog, how he’d helped her during a really difficult period when she’d struggled with burnout from work and her marriage disintegrating which led to depression and lack of sleep. How she'd never been much of a walker, but having to get up every day to walk this poor dog, who was afraid of everything, gave her a purpose. It helped clear her head of the troublesome thoughts that plagued her all the time. She had to focus on the Bosnian rescue dog, who was so terrified of people and other dogs, she had to walk him on a lead, somewhere really quiet. She didn't say how hard this was, but having a very nervy dog myself, I can understand the huge amount of work involved with a dog this frightened. It is not to be underestimated. And when you're feeling terrible yourself - well, hats off to her. I wouldn't have been able to do it.

But she is evidently made of tougher stuff. Gradually, she and the dog started looking forward to their walks, and with the help of psychotherapy and managing herself, her sleep and remembering to eat regularly, life wasn't as terrible as it had been. The dog's tail started coming up - a sign that she was happier. After a long while, she was able to let the dog off the lead, and several years on, she’s a different dog. Still cautious and wary, but much happier. More confident. She adopted another foreign Bosnian dog who was as uncomplicated as her first one was complex.

She moved from the wilds of Essex to London, to be nearer loved ones, and wondered how they would both cope. Would they long for the quiet fields of Essex? How would the nervous dog cope? Initially she was wary, but after a while she settled down, and is enjoying the acres of roaming that Hampstead Heath provides, embracing the change. Learning to be more sociable.

The speaker turned out to be the novelist and journalist, Jo Jo Moyes. She said that maybe she has lessons to learn from her nervous dog. Maybe she does, but I thought, they’re called rescue dogs because we rescue them. But really, as everyone knows who has one, they rescue us.

The Rescue nearly here!

This is the cover for The Rescue, designed by the incredibly talented Tammy Barrett. I love it, and that look is pure Moll... It also helps that we both love animals which is a great start to a working relationship that involves dogs. She has also set up my new website www.suekittow.com and done a fantastic job, I think. Particularly the poems section....

Life has been dominated by The Rescue and marketing. I did one interview last week and another this week, and a few online ones coming up. Oh, and when not doing that, looking after Lainy, who we thought had recovered, but she had a setback last Sunday when we had rather too long a walk. So that was our fault. On Monday, having gone out for a very short wee walk, she decided she was going back to lie on the sofa all day, apart from the odd dash into the garden. She did the same on Tuesday and of course I was worried, even though she wasn't limping.

The Fella just said, "clever girl," (Lainy, not me) which of course was the right attitude, and by Wednesday Lainy seemed fine again. AFter a quick check at the vet (we went for her annual booster), he said gentle walks for the next week as it takes six weeks for a shoulder injury to repair. So we're nearly there....

Lastly, because it's late and Friday night and I'm tired, I had a message to say my books will be arriving at the end of next week, so if anyone would like to order, please do so on www.suekittow.com - the first 50 people get free postage. It will be available on Kindle in a few weeks. The launch will be on 30 November at Princess Pavilions in Falmouth from 5-7pm, so all are welcome. Plus friends with four legs and two...