Pip’s Diary as recounted to Alexandra Bastedo
Gosh the world is an intimidating place. Now I know dobermanns have the reputation of being large and fierce but at the moment – at five months – I can feel very small and very frightened.
Firstly my sister Boogie and her nine month old friend Jazz turned up again. Although I had seen them only two weeks earlier when they arrived my sister had grown so much I didn’t recognise her and I peed on the spot as they charged towards me. I then hid away in my cage until my owner persuaded me to come out and play. However Boogie is an experienced wrestler so once again I ended up on my back underneath her most of the time and by the end of the day I looked like a pin cushion from all the times she had stuck her needle-sharp teeth into me. Thank goodnes I don’t live with her any more, I fear if I did I would be scarred and battered and have a permanent lump on my head like the egg-sized lump I had on my head when I first arrived at my new home.
The sanctuary has other terrifying things too like the screams of the foxes after dark which send me rushing back into the house the moment I hear them while Nellie, my big dobermann friend just stands and barks at them. Then there is Leah the dog next door who protects the farmer’s orphan lambs. There is a path alongside the dividing fence between the properties and as she charges at the fence I have to race past at full pelt to get by her while brave Nellie merely strolls by growling as she goes.
However, in the house I feel very safe and have a lot of fun playing. One of my favourite games involves removing all the green, black, pink and blue wellingtons from the boot rack. I grapple with each one bashing it from side to side and jumping on it until the whole hall becomes a battlefield strewn with the corpses of dead wellingtons – a truly impressive sight.
While on the topic of feet I think my owner is becoming somewhat eccentric. She always seems to wear odd slippers or odd shoes and sometimes one shoe and one slipper or even one slipper and one barefoot. She looks very funny as she lurches about on uneven heels. Of course, occasionally she will find the missing shoe or slipper in my cage, or in my bed or even in the nest outside under the rosemary bush where I leave all my missing toys out in the rain.
Strangely the stairs going upstairs which have an anti-dog gate at the bottom (to give the upstairs cats some peace) are now serving as storage for all manner of boots. shoes, slippers, letters, bills, cases and handbags which are now all tantalisingly out of reach. As I get bigger everything is getting put away higher up as my owners attempt to keep one step ahead of me.
As for food I have yet to find something that I dislike. I adore my own food of course and raid the larder to get at it if ever the door is left open. But I also love raspberries, blueberries, raw chicory,brussel sprouts,cabbage,broccoli, cake ,butter, porridge, packets of cereal, horse manure, cow pats, sheep dung, and rabbit pellets or indeed anything I can get my paws on.
Unfortunately it is all getting less accessible as doors are not merely shut now but also locked, but I am sure to find new ways to get at things and the cat food which they have put on the sideboard will soon be within my reach once again——.
By Alexandra Bastedo.
Copyright Alexandra Bastedo
Alexandra is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary on www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk
The sanctuary is struggling to look after all the abandoned animals it has rescued and is very grateful for any donations however small. All the money goes to the animals and all the staff are volunteers. There is a PO Box Number and a Paypal button on the website.
She is also the author of “Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks”, and the veterinary recommended “The Healthy Cat” and “The Healthy Dog ” books. There are a limited number of the author’s copies available on the web site which can be signed upon request.
She is also Patron of Compassion in World Farming. the Animal Welfare Trust, WildlifeAid, and Naturewatch and Vice President of the Brent Lodge Bird Hospital and President of Paws Rescue, Findon, and Cat and Rabbit Rescue at Chichester, She resigned as President of her local R.S.P.C.A branch in order to expand the ABC Animal Sanctuary.
