Sire: Redelyst the Piper. Dam: Majestyka’s Mystic of Jezzla
From seven to nine years old I spent the school holidays with a family who had a small dairy farm in beautiful hilly and wooded countryside near Leith Hill in Surrey.
They had dogs! Many Golden Labradors and during the time I spent there, a beautiful young dog called Yana became “mine”. We were inseparable. She slept at the foot of my bed and we went everywhere together both on the farm and when exploring the woods. We were never apart so when it came to going back to boarding school it was always agony. I rarely suffered from homesickness but leaving Yana was always painful. When it came for me to return to my parents after three years, the thought of leaving Yana was unbearable. I cut a lock of her coat and kept it well into adulthood. I cried as though the world had ended. I also vowed that this would never happen again.
When I met Dina in Yogyakarta she had a very pretty cross breed, mainly Golden Retriever, called Rosa. She vanished one day when we were in the UK. That was very sad but as it happened far away it was not as painful.
Loosing Felix the cat (a beautiful jet black Birman) was also very painful. He too vanished but in London.
I looked after a massive Labradoodle called Merlin for many months a few years ago in France and he and I ran many miles together everyday, and sometimes he would lag behind! It was quite a wrench leaving him behind too.
Life can be so ironic at times.
Some fifty five years plus later, you make an enormous decision to have a dog again. The pain of farewell faded but still poignant.
You find a perfect dog and to the outside world he is indeed perfect, flawless, handsome and admired. Yet nobody can see what lies within. We chose a beautiful puppy and Dina named him Sherlock. Sherlock has grown in to an amazingly handsome dog, full of energy and with an unbelievably friendly nature. On a country walk, or a stroll in the town, you would never know that there was anything wrong with him.
Everywhere we go people marvel at his good looks, his glossy coat and his incredible good nature, and, his wonderful name! We have learnt that to take him up town means stopping every few paces for him to be admired, complimented and petted and for us never to be in a hurry!
He has been dealt a horribly cruel hand that meant he was either to be put down, which needless to say is just unthinkable, or that he must find a home where he can live outside with other canine friends, and have human contact during the day which he craves.
Together we have endured five minor operations on his eyes which did not work so he now requires a more major surgery. He went through four months of having a Cystotomy (a catheter inserted into his bladder with a tap on the end) and had to have his bladder emptied manually many times a day. That too failed. Finally the vets, both local and a specialist team said that nothing more could be done.
He is no longer able to live in the house as one of the family and we were faced with an appalling choice. I wrote to everyone I could think of to find him a home. Most replies came back, very sympathetic but saying no. Others did not reply.
Then, Geraldine Cove-Print of the Irish Setter Rescue and Rehome Charity (www.israndr.com ) called me. She said very simply “we can help, don’t worry”.
Geraldine and her group will deal with all Sherlock’s medical issues and find him a permanent home too. They are amazing and generous and we are very grateful.
We are so sad, devastated to give him away and yet very happy at the same time that he will live in a happy home!
On Monday 23rd July 2018 Mangir, my youngest daughter, and I met Geraldine and handed over Sherlock. She was very kind and gave the impression that she seriously knew what she was doing. It was an encouraging farewell as it was very apparent that Sherlock was going to be in very capable hands.
We had Sherlock at home with us as one of the family for nearly a year and from these photos (in no special order) you can see that he was much loved and we all had great fun.
Sherlock with Mangir and his new owner, Geraldine
Today, 22nd August 2018, with more infections, failing kidneys and pain, Sherlock was put down. So sad, such devastating news. So brave of Geraldine to take on the responsibility of having Sherlock for his last chance of a cure. Awful it did not work.
Sherlock by Mangir (aged five)
Merlin the giant Labradoodle, aged thirteen and a half, died after a short illness on Tuesday 28th August 2018. He was a great fellow….
Merlin with Olly Hatch-Barnwell in La Chataigneraie
Philip Hatch-Barnwell 