Prince, our Pet.

He arrived in the boot of a car.

What a sorrowful sight he was! My husband lifted him up gently and him placed him on the soft grass.

The driver told us, "We can't keep him anymore because we're moving out of town, so you can have him. I must be off. Bye." The car reversed down the driveway.



"We received him only yesterday," I explained to the vet the following day, as he was examining our new pet. "I have no records on him. His last owner wanted to get rid of him, so we said we'd take him."

"What's your dog's name?"

"Prince. We decided to call him Prince."

"Your Prince seems to have two broken ribs and his jaw is swollen. I'll give him a painkiller, de-worm him and get him up to date with his inoculations. Then he'll be ready to go home with you. But be good to him, will you? His eyes tell me he's been abused."


..........................................................


Prince was getting used to living with us. Then one day, out of the blue, he snapped at me, giving me a real fright. He did the same a bit later. I became very wary of him.

He got on well with my husband and our two sons, however. Prince was a Rough Collie with a very thick coat and, in our hot climate, needed to cool down. He enjoyed swimming in our pool. The kids enjoyed playing with him. They also kept him well-groomed. Our doggie turned out to be happy and beautiful.

But still, he and I did not bond...

... Until one morning, when nobody was home, I had a very nasty fall. I don't remember how it happened, but my forehead hit the the kitchen step. I just lay there, face-down, in shock. Moments later a warmth and softness surrounded me, and I sensed that Prince was standing astride me. It was soothing having his body over me and his presence helped to alleviate the shock. He stood over me until I felt comfortable enough to get up.

My arms reached out to Prince in gratitude. He put his front paws on my chest and we embraced fondly. "Thank you for helping me," I said.