@Jan_Leeming
The @nytimes asks ‘Do Animals Grieve?
Of course they do!
Scientists have long agreed that vertebrates and many invertebrates possess sentience.
It should never be called into question, rather there should be universal understanding that animals should always be viewed as fellow species deserving of respect, compassion and kindnessView quoted post on X
Sid – A Story of Courage, Survival and Unconditional Love
I met Sid on the last day of a self-funded trip to Sri Lanka in 2005, which I had taken with my friend Morag. It was supposed to be our holiday, but, as always, we seemed to spend every day feeding stray animals and taking sick and injured ones to the vets. This was before the charity was founded.
Just before flying home to the UK, we were feeding the strays near the Mount Lavinia Hotel when Sid appeared from nowhere. He was emaciated, covered in parasites and collapsed at our feet. We had never seen him before, but it was immediately obvious that he desperately needed help. We knew we had to get him to a vet as quickly as possible.
Sid had been badly beaten. Both his front legs were broken and part of one paw had been severed. He was in a terrible state, yet somehow he seemed to sense that we were his last hope.
With very little time before our flight, we rushed him to the vet we had been using during our stay. On the way, we gave him a name: Sid.
As well as his horrific injuries, he was suffering from blood parasite diseases. Given the extent of his neglect and the condition he was in, the vets were understandably pessimistic about his chances of survival. But we decided he deserved a chance. Morag and I paid for him to remain at the clinic for as long as it took to get him well enough to travel.
We had to leave for the airport, and saying goodbye was heartbreaking. I gave Sid one final hug before we left. As we walked away, he howled so pitifully that it broke my heart. I cried all the way home.
But Sid was a fighter. He survived.
Morag and I then paid for his flight to the UK and six months of quarantine so that I could adopt him. However, Sid's battle for life was far from over.
During his first month in quarantine, Sid began passing blood from his genitals. Further investigations revealed a large Transmissible Venereal Tumour (TVT), which had been missed by the vets in Sri Lanka.
The quarantine vet refused to administer the chemotherapy drug Vincristine, which is used to treat TVT, and instead recommended euthanasia as the 'kindest option'. I was also told that Sid was a 'difficult' dog to handle.
Yes, he was difficult, but after everything he had endured at the hands of humans, who could blame him? His fear and mistrust were hardly surprising.
I refused to accept euthanasia as the answer. TVT is treatable and curable, and I was determined to find a way to save him.
After several harrowing weeks, I finally found a solution. My own vet in South Africa, who had experience treating TVT (unlike many vets in the UK at that time), agreed to take on Sid's case. Fortunately, his premises also met with DEFRA's approval.
Animals in quarantine are subject to strict regulations, and any movement outside the approved quarantine premises requires DEFRA authorisation. The veterinary costs for chemotherapy, together with the transport from Salisbury to Woodford Green for treatment, were enormous. These were in addition to the already substantial quarantine expenses.
But we had come too far to give up on Sid. Morag and I funded everything from our salaries.
Sid only really trusted me, so getting him to the vet for treatment was quite an undertaking. I had to patiently lure him out of his crate to enable him to receive his chemotherapy injections. Eventually, after all he had been through, he was cured.
At last, quarantine was over and Sid came home to live with me.
We loved each other so deeply. He had finally found the safe and happy life he had always deserved, and we shared many wonderful years together. Sadly, in February 2014, Sid died in my arms from lung cancer.
His best mate, Sooby, who had also been adopted from the Mount Lavinia area, perhaps even a friend of Sid's before they were rescued, stayed faithfully beside his body throughout the night. It was an incredibly moving and heartbreaking sight. Sooby has since passed away too.
I have such beautiful memories of Sid and Sooby. Sid was one of the most courageous dogs I have ever known. Despite the cruelty he had suffered, he found the strength to survive and, eventually, to trust and love again.
I often think about that one moment outside the Mount Lavinia Hotel when Sid appeared at our feet. It was a chance encounter that changed everything.
I am so grateful that our paths crossed that day. We gave Sid a second chance at life, but he gave me something equally precious. His story shaped the rest of his life and mine.
He arrived broken, frightened and desperately needing someone to care. He left this world having been cherished beyond measure.
Sid will always be remembered, and he will always have a very special place in my heart. He was one of the reasons I started the charity, to help others like him with no future or hope.View quoted post on X
@Jan_Leeming You lost me at "uber" i only got the app last week 😂😂😂. Sorry, its all Dutch to me.View quoted post on X
@Jan_Leeming Absolutely dreadful😰To make you feel better, Jan, there was a cat waiting outside a cafe yesterday. Whilst we were enquiring about him, 2 other lovely people came in to ask about him and this happens constantly apparently. There are some nice people around.View quoted post on X
