Rodney, James and Lorraine all loved quiet,, ggentle Holly
WICKLOW RESCUE DOGS AND THEIR STORIES
LORRAINE GILLESPIE’S heart was broken when she went to Sharpeshill following the death of her own beloved dog Pippin in November 2015.
Pippin had been a rescue dog and had been with Lorraine for 14 years before her death so naturally Lorraine was devastated by her loss.
However in March 2016 she felt she might be able to open her heart to another dog and because Pippin had been a rescue dog she wanted to help another rescue dog so she went to Sharpeshill.
‘I was devastated and heartbroken after Pippin died and in March 2016 I plucked up the courage to get another dog and I wanted to get a rescue dog. I was looking for a very gentle dog and an older dog, a dog that had been loved all its life.
‘When I went to Sharpeshill I took anther dog for a walk and didn’t even notice Holly. When I came back she was in the same enclosure and I said to myself that I couldn’t take one of the dogs for a walk and leave the other. So I took Holly for a walk and I knew instantly she was the one.
‘I had missed her initially when I went into the sanctuary because she was so quiet. All the other dogs were barking and vying for attention but she was just like a little Buddha so I didn’t notice her.
‘I brought her home and I had asked about her history and all they could tell me was that she had been surrendered to them because her owner had become ill and wasn’t able to look after her.
‘I said that I would love to find the owner to show them how much she was going to be loved and tell them that there was no need to worry about her because she would be loved.
‘As providence would have it I was walking down the Main Street in Wicklow four or five days later and woman who was a total stranger to me said ‘ Is that Holly?’. We had a chat and she told me who had owned Holly and told me the story.
‘She had initially been ownedd by a man called Rodney who lived in Castle Street and he hadd her for about five years but hee unfortunately died. His friend James Johnson then took Holly and he had her for three years before he took ill and wasn’t able to care for her.
‘Both Rodney and Jamess doted on her and when Jamess had to surrender her he wass devastated and heartbroken.. As he said to me as hard as itt was to get ill it was harder on him surrendering Holly in December 2015.
‘Anyway I had a chat with the woman and said that I would love James to know Holly was well looked after and if he wanted to meet her he could. We exchanged numbers and she got back to me shortly after to say that James would love to meet up with Holly and I.
‘Soon after that I brought Holly up to visit him and it was a very tearful reunion. It meant a lot to him to see that she was loved. We often used to meet him by the sea because he was a fisherman and Holly who was the most gentle dog had a real connection with the water.
‘It meant a lot to both of us to see that she was happy and loved.’
Lorraine said that Holly who was a Springer Spaniel mix had had tumours when she adopted her but despite knowing this she was happy to bring her home with her.
‘However she became ill very suddenly at the end of April and in May she had to be put asleep. She had a massive tumour.
‘I met James the day before she didied and he told me to bring her up the following day, May 3, for a hahaircut. But on May 3 she wasn’t wewell enough to go up so I rang JaJames and asked him if there was anany chance he could call to my hohouse and sit with her so that I cocould do to work.
‘It worked out wonderfully bebecause he had the morning with heher and I had the afternoon. It was lolovely that we both got to spend titime with her before she had to be put down.’
Lorraine said that after Holly’s dedeath she wanted to give her a didignified burial and contacted ppet crematorium Maguire’s Pet Cremations in Kilcock. Robert and Jamie. ‘ They established the business because they know how imimportant it is to real animal lolovers to have an dignified and respectful end of life service for ththeir pets.
‘Robert drove down to collect Holly’s body and spent an hour with me before bringing Holly off in a lovely Moses basket. He returned two days later with her ashes in two scatter pouches, one for me and one for James.
‘We will scatter them in the sea where we both spent time with her and have such happy memories of her.’
Lorraine said that she got to spend just over a year with Holly but it had been a fantastic time. ‘She brought me so much joy, happiness and love. She was the most beautiful dog and companion to myself, James and Rodney. She brought so much love and joy into the lives of her three owners and left this world with nothing but love behind her.
‘Some people mightn’t like to adopt an older dog but that was specifically why I adopted her. All that matters to me was that she would be loved.’
Lorraine, who was the deputy principal in the Dominican College in Wicklow is now moving to the Presentation College in Carlow. However she said that when she leaves she will be bringing another dog with her. ‘ The students at DCW very kindly collected over €200 as a gift for me and signed cards for me leaving my job as deputy principal.
‘I have informed them that I am going to donate this money to Sharpeshill Animal Sanctuary and adopt another rescue dog over the summer holidays so that he/she can have a loving forever home with me.
‘ The students were delighted with this news and I’m looking forward to getting a new dog to love.’