The day the dog died

I'm holding back the tears.

This week I had to send my ten year old cocker spaniel to dog heaven.

Like all those souls who long for kids and can't go near a park or a school or even pop in to McDonalds without feeling a terrible sense of loss, I keep seeing other happy people out walking their dogs everywhere I turn.

(Just hope he's gone somewhere else...with plenty of doggy treats and sunny spots to lie in and tall grass so he can scamper about with his tail up, chasing a ball foreverrrrrrr... )

What is it with people and pets? Baby substitutes? I don't need any more kids, we've more than enough thanks. My ex-PA got herself a huge border collie a few months after she lost a baby. Now she's pregnant again with twins, she's wondering how to cope with two tinies and a huge hair-shedding dog... ?

...apparently when we stroke these furry creatures it relieves stress... they listen to our woes uncomplainingly... they don't charge hefty therapy bills... they act as devoted friends for the duration of their short lives... all they ask is food, water and a daily run round the nearest strip of greenery... why wouldn't we love them?

Maybe I should be doing a series of books on pets, rather than the current crop of serious, issue-led novels for teenagers on drugs, crime, war, road accidents, anorexia etc etc ...?

MY FIRST PET comes to mind... celebs talking about their childhood pets, with pictures or drawings... poems and memories - it might catch on, might sell a lot of copies... full colour, hard back, the perfect gift book... heh, why am I telling you all about it?

ciaou, going to stroke the cat...