Gillian Alsop, from Coventry, Warwickshire, in the United Kingdom, is one of my readers.

For many years Gillian had worked with dogs, until she realized that there were many feral cats in dire straits, so for the last 8 years Gillian's life has been dedicated to them - feeding, coaxing, and taming them to be rehomed.

This is Gillian's story in relation to one of those cats, a border collie puppy, and a wexie cross staffie puppy that Gilian adopted as well, and the effect those animals had on each other and on Gillian's family:

"My last feral Tomcat was a challenge indeed. He was the Alpha male of a small colony…un-neutured…excessively big…and by far the most aggressive Tom it has ever been my pleasure to meet.

Having taken in two myself previously,I knew he would be the third. The fiery eyes held many a threat, and after 7 weeks of trying to reverse his misfortune, I was no nearer to bringing him in, but I could see something beyond the hatred, and so I carried on. I took a week's leave…thinking the Tom would be fine, but upon my return, I found the Tom in distress. His coat was matted…his ear torn, and he'd shed many a pound, although the fire still burned brightly in his eyes. His last defiance was to snarl quietly, as I scooped him into my arms and took him home. But for many months he remained aloof…making no commitment, frightening everyone with those "evil eyes". I named him Storm.

On February 14th, our daughter presented us with a 7 week old border collie pup, much to our dismay. The pup was weak, very frightened, and ran from the slightest sound. Our concern was for her safety…having brought in the Tom only a few months previously. We knew not whether he had any encounter with dogs, but we agreed to keep the pup for a few days. Getting her to eat was nightmare, and we eventually ended up spoon-feeding her with Sherley's Lactol…just to keep her alive. She would not touch anything that we produced…from tin, packet or dried, and we had resigned ourselves to her inevitable passing.

For three nights she cried for her mum, and on the fourth night, at 2:15am….the crying stopped.

With a heavy heart, I crept downstairs, and approached her basket. It was a sight I knew I would never see again. The Tom's body enveloped the sleeping pup, and both were in the land of dreams. Storm had made his first real commitment….to a dying pup! The following morning, as I opened the back door, Storm proudly entered with a token he was to bestow on Skye (so-named because of her china blue eys).

She scrambled out of the basket and pawed the large offering (a newly dispatched rat) but found it not to her liking. The unlucky animal was banished to the garden, but several minutes later, Storm returned. He proceeded to relinquish most of his breakfast onto the kitchen floor. Seconds later, the pup having picked up the scent, proceeded to demolish it, and was ready for more!! Felix catfood was to become her favorite food.

The bond that developed between them, was wonderful to watch, and from that day Skye never looked back. The Tom taught her many things, and protected her from harm, being by her side from dawn till dusk, but another bond was developing, which was even more amazing.

When Skye was 5 months old, my husband was diagnosed with acute Emphysema, and life was now a burden to him. Skye seemed to sense this and would sit beside him for hours, with her head in his lap. One evening, feeling rather unwell with migraine, my husband declared that he would supervise Skye's last walk of the night. They were away for several hours and I began to worry. I was waiting with growing concern until they arrived home and declared what a wonderful walk it had been.

As Skye grew, they enjoyed many more wonderful walks and she gave my husband back his life.

But at 10mths, Skye's life was to change dramatically. Storm collapsed on the bedroom floor and we rushed him to the veterinary surgery. Sadly, Storm died in my arms 20 minutes later….he had suffered a massive heart-attack. The vet informed me that Storm was at least 14 years old.

Our household mourned that night for a cat who had given us so much joy, but none more than Skye. For hours she paced the floor…waiting…hoping that he would appear in the doorway. Although we tried to console her, her grief was immense, and she remained depressed, alone,and refused to eat. This went on for 10 days, and Skye's depression was getting worse.

One morning, my husband threw Skye's favorite ball across the living room floor. She took a dive at it, and within minutes she was gasping for breath. The ball had lodged itself in her windpipe. Luckily, the ball contained a bell, placed there with a direct tiny hole that went through each side. As we tried desperatly to remove the ball, it moved direction, but still remained firmly lodged. I knew there was a chance that she would not make it to the vet, as it was the school run traffic and the vet's surgery was 4 miles away.

Grabbing my mobile phone in one hand, and with the help of our granddaughter rushing Skye to the car, I phoned the surgery. Immediately they were on standby, and my husband drove like a madman…through traffic lights and over kerbs, all the time knowing that every minute counted. By the time Skye arrived, both her tongue and gums were a bright blue, and her eyes glazed. I knew Skye was only seconds from death.

We waited what seemed like an eternity, until we were ushered into the surgery. It seemed that three things had saved Skye's life. The ball had turned to allow a little air through the hole, my husband,s driving skills, and the fact that she was a very healthy dog, but of course we know that the veterinarian's skill of removing the ball within a 45 second time gap, before her heart stopped for good, had made all the difference.

Skye has recovered, although it has left her with epilepsy, and went on to save the life of a 4 week old pup, who lost his mum. With her tender loving care, he is now a year old and a happy healthy dog (a Westie cross Staffie) who dotes on her. They are a team, and it is like having one dog.

So you see, we owe Skye a lot. She gives us her complete trust, her unconditional love, and above all knowing that she would defend us with her life. Although they are both terribly spoiled, it is little in return for the love they bestow on us.

Just for the record…we named the new pup Storm!"

Gillian has written a novel based on her experiences with looking after these and other animals, called "The Ninth Life".

Hello Brigitte,

I whole heartily agree with you about the reasons for having a dog.

My spouse had commented a few times about having a dog but we both agreed it wasn't time because of our work schedules and the fact we have 4 cats ( total of 5 in the winter time since we babysit her for those months ). They are all indoor cats and seems like each one of them wants to be the "boss"!!

But last June we were visiting his parents in upstate New York when a neighbor down the dirt road approached me in the driveway asking if anyone was looking for a lost dog. He had found her walking in the busy highway by his house! I looked in the truck and there she was "cowered" by the gas peddles looking so pathetic. So I thought maybe this was a "set up" between my spouse and neighbor because coincidentally we were just talking about a dog the night before with his parents! But it wasn't .

The neighbor already had 2 dogs of his own and certainly didn't want this one so I thought if we brought her back to Vt. I could find a good home for her.

Before we left we had posted a picture of her in the area and left our telephone number. When we got home I also posted her on a site for lost and found animals to which I only got 2 calls. 2 months had gone by with no luck and we had ourselves attached to her so she's been with us since!

The vet feels she might be as old as 10yrs. She has a sight and hearing problem and is often incontinent so we buy the puppy pads.

One of the cats uses it as well at times. This cat has been peeing about a year on the floors and scatter rugs!!! She's been treated twice for UTI, and I have invested a lot of money into "products" to deter and clean cat urine!!! I don't have the heart to put her down . I think it has now become a behavioral problem and we are continuing to solve it.

So back to the dog. She has a good life with us even though we've discovered her bad temperament at times and will bite if front paws are touched or try to groom her!! She doesn't mind a bath and seems to enjoy having the blow dryer on her and runs like a puppy all over the house when we're done with her!! That's the only time she's playful.

She has her own "log bed" that my spouse made and a comfy bed downstairs. She's very fussy with the food. Lots of trials and errors!!! Not to mention money. It has altered our life a bit with walks and taking responsibilities that goes with having a dog so we "adjust " our lives around hers so to speak.

We're giving it our best shot!!!

Judy Moscatello

Dear Brigitte,

I would like to share with you a funny story about Linus, my maltese cross poodle.

Even though he was diagnosed with a heart murmer, it does not stop him from being so frisky and playful.

He would go into his bedroom and bring back his stuffed teddy bear and place it on my feet. As he backs away, he would like me to throw it for him.

Doctor’s order, we can’t get him too excited because of his condition. I would just throw it in the air and then he will catch it and hold it in his mouth and lay down with it and make baby sounds.

When I try to take it away from him, the bear is all soppy with his saliva and insists on me throwing it again down the hall so he can play fetch. If I ignore him, then he will walk away and pout in a corner somewhere. I will go look for him, and apologize to him for not playing.

What can I do? I want him to play, but due to his heart condition, Linus is extremely active and wants to play…play….and more play and then he will go and rest. What can I do for him?

This morning, Linus brought out his other favourite stuffed shoe toe with puckered red lips and walk around with it. I wonder if dogs think that these stuffed toys are their security blankets?

Even though Linus is our life for the last eleven years, I want him to enjoy the remaining few he has left! He has won many contests for the best looking dog and still win more because he is our sunshine that came into our lives!!

Tony & Ginger

Hello, Brigitte!

This is the first time I'm writing to you. I've been enjoying your mails and I feel that it's good time to write because in your latest mail you wanted to know about how my dog has changed my life.

I am motivated to share my story because I feel that I am one of those who has been blessed with such a wonderful being. I said "being" for the fact that dogs actually have so much personality; it's something I've never realized before!

Well, my husband and I first decided to get a dog after I was diagnosed with major depression. I have always loved dogs - puppies in particular, but had never seriously thought of getting one. During our research, we read that pets can help people with depression. Since I am alone at home sometimes (all my family members and relatives are in another country; my mom comes and goes), he felt a dog could keep me company when I felt lonely.

We then got a puppy as I've always wanted - it's a white Toy Poodle, 10 weeks old then. We call him Dee. Truth be told, it took me some weeks to get adjusted to looking after and training a puppy everything from scratch. It did get annoying initially, especially with his endless pee and poo as a puppy, and the times he felt sick. Even now that he's 10 months old, it still takes certain amount of time feeding him (he gets fussy sometimes), training him, playing and spending time with him every day (particularly when you're sick or when you feel that you just want to be alone but he's in a cuddly mood), the weekly bathing and grooming, the daily brushing, etc… It is, like you said, a responsibility.

But the one thing that I can never deny, is how he always makes us laugh, or smile at the very least. And that's so important to me to keep my mood elevated and to keep me from feeling depressed all the time. There are always things to laugh about when he's around - the way he runs like rabbit, the way he jumps like a lamb, the way his both hind legs rise when he suddenly stops while running at high speed, the way he sleeps, the way he curls up, the way he yawns, the funny noises he makes… everything!! Everything about him is just so cute and it brings excitement to my life. He never fails to put a smile on my face, even on my worst days, he somehow can still make me smile one way or another.

And I haven't even talked about how loyal he is. He literally follows me E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E I go. That way even when my husband's at work and my mom's not here with me, I'm never alone. He's ALWAYS THERE wherever I am. If I'm taking a shower or brushing my teeth, he'll wait for me right outside the bathroom door. When I come out, he'll go into the room with me and wait while I change. Tell me who would do that for me?? He sleeps on or under the bed at night, and every time I go out to the kitchen to have a glass of water, he'll come out with me, wait till I'm done, and go back into the bedroom with me. And I've never seen anyone that's more excited than him E-V-E-R-Y-T-I-M-E I come home! All that tail-wagging and jumping around… while my husband's stuck to his couch and TV!

He has definitely changed my life in the sense that I find a new perspective to look at life. I had never thought that a pet can bring you so much joy. He helps keep my mood up because I'm "forced" to smile and laugh everyday at the silly, mischievous things he does. He forces me to exercise when playing with him and walking him. And exercise is so important for a depressed person.

It's so touching to find him greeting me every morning with his licks and jumps (and a belly-rub afterwards). Sometimes I feel it's so ironic that a dog teaches us humans the true meaning of companionship and loyalty. And it's equally ironic that the one most loyal to you is your dog…(by no means undermining my lovely family and friends).

Having him has certainly touched a part of me I never knew existed and has definitely helped me on the road of recovery from depression. There's never a single day I regret my decision on getting a dog. Whatever time, energy or finances I have to sacrifice, I feel it's well worth it in return for the smiles and the laughs, the joy and the excitement he brings to the house each day.

A dog IS indeed a man's best friend.

Regards,

Christaline Watson,
Penang, Malaysia

Here's a wonderful story sent to me by Wayne and Robin Carter, who were living on 3 acres of land in Gulfport, MS, with lots of animals.

I had a regular exchange of emails with both Wayne and Robin for a year or two, but especially Robin. I was very sad to hear that Robin passed away in November 2005 after a short but very aggressive bout, and battle, with leukemia.

So it pleases me to be able to pass on her story, which will live on even now that she's gone:

When Wayne met Robin, she had a male shih tzu named Beau and a German Shepherd named Lady.

After they got married, Wayne and Robin added to their family with a Chow/Shepherd mix - Spats, and later a Shepherd/Husky mix - Boots. Here's their story, retold to me by Wayne while Robin was still with us:

"Before Lady passed away, we got Spats. To see how Beau and Lady treated this new addition to the family was so funny. Poor Spats would try to join in their lives, and they would snub him … Yes! … they'd just get up and leave the room when he attempted to join them.

Eventually, though, all three developed a family type bond.

When we got Spats, the Chow/Shepherd, I was an over the road truckdriver, coming home every 2 weeks … and each time I came home the "puppy" had grown, and grown, and grown … to the point that Robin was taking photos of him every few days to prove she had not gotten another dog!

Spats always knew who I was, and was happy to see me, but had become one of Robin's dogs (since Robin took care of them and was with them more than I was). So when I would come home, I would have to adjust the pack order. The dogs are very close to Robin, and protect her, so when I would come home, and try to get into the "home life" I was having to let the dogs know that I was the top dog when I was home - NOT them. I even had to TAKE my spot in the bed back each time I came home.

Then we got the new puppy Boots (the Shepherd/Husky), and the same thing happened to her where the dogs ignored her, like she did not belong. Now I am happy to say that Spats and Boots get along great. Beau who is older, and not as likely to want to play and be pulled on by the ears, or tail, has learned to avoid his new house mate, who is now much larger than he is … but they all know that Beau is the elder. Spats and Boots both push the limit at times, and that little dog puts them in their place right now - he is not affraid of either of them!

We have a joke in our house. Beau, the Shih Tzu, was raised wth Lady the German Shepherd, so Beau thinks he's also a German Shepherd!

Spats is huge, and was mainly raised with Beau, Shih Tzu, so Spats seems to think he is a small dog!

All in all our life with our animals is great … Oh, but I forgot to mention the funniest of all our pets … the African Grey we have, who calls the dogs, and gives them orders … just out of the blue. He uses either my voice or Robin's, and sometimes gets those dogs going, too!"

For any of you who don't know, an African Grey is a talking parrot!

Hope you enjoyed that amusing story as much as I did. It always makes me laugh.