POINTS WEST'S POPPY

I'm sorry to say that Poppy has made her last appearance on Points West. She had to be put to sleep on Friday 31st August, just three weeks short of her fourteenth birthday.

Her demise was rather sudden and unexpected. Only a week before she died she was going for long walks and scoffing all the food put before her. But a stomach cancer seems to have developed very quickly and we were left with no alternative but to put her down.

   Gerroff! I had a bath last year.

I bought her as an eight week old puppy from a breeder in Doncaster. She was as good as gold from the start. House trained within a fortnight and brilliant with my daughters who were about 6 years of age. As with virtually all dalmatians she loved company and loved being with people. She was never as good with other dogs, particularly large ones, but she was never aggressive towards them.

When I went on holiday she soon decided that boarding kennels were not for her. So lots of friends, girlfriends and neighbours were happy to volunteer to look after her in my absence.

In common with all dalmatians she was a terrible scrounger and scavenger of food. If she could get her head in a bin, then the contents - no matter how inedible - were likely to end up in her stomach.

At times she drove Renu to distraction, always following her from one room to another, partly for company, partly just in case Renu was about to cook any food. And I often used to get calls at work which began, "You'll never guess what that dog of yours has done..." But Renu was almost as upset as me when she died.

   Jake - Poppy's playmate

This is Jake the greyhound. Poppy used to stay with him and Harry the cat (and Elaine and Jenny) when we went on holiday.  They all got on like a house on fire. Jake will miss her.

  On top of Barbury Fort

Will we get another dog in the future? Difficult to say. Certainly not in the short term. But perhaps in the spring we will see how we feel and maybe consider a different breed - I don't want to start comparing any new dog with my old friend.

   Top dog!