Anthea Turner How I See It...

Hello,

I’m looking out of the window at a very grey sky but honestly bursting to share a story with you about a huge ray of sunshine that is bathing the lives of four friends. None of them know each other, but the essence of what’s happened is the same. A dog has walked into their lives and stolen their heart. And what’s the point of having a heart, if you can’t give it away?

I say “walked” into their lives because I think animals do and sometimes when you’re least expecting it.

As I write to you, I’m looking at Soho, our crazy little French bulldog, having a well-deserved nap after his hectic morning of responsibilities. This involved waking us up, washing our faces and accompanying us to the coffee machine. This is where his treat tin is situated but before I could lift the lid came further responsibilities – three in fact, from Amazon, UPS and Royal Mail. He had to alert us in case we didn’t hear the buzzer then had to rush out to the gate before me to check the invader’s aroma and, if all was well, give him a unique four-second dance.

How did we function without our furball of joy?

When I lived on my own, so many times I thought about a dog and in one of my many chats to The Universe, cosmic ordering exactly what I wanted, I definitely mentioned a dog. So when it orchestrated sending me on a blind date with a man who had a dog, they must have thought Bingo, that’llsortherout. I’m not writing to you with all the public information about finding a dog to suit your lifestyle as you know all that stuff. I’m talking here about the emotional side, the companionship. My two girlfriends are great women, one 60, the other 70, live on their own, are really cool but there is a basic instinct within us to care and nurture, and animals extract this out of us.

WONDERFUL WALKIES

It’s so much better to go for a walk with Soho than on my own. Even a long car or train journey is more fun with Soho. Socially I’ve noticed there are more and more dog friendly cafés and even hotels have realised it’s people who are generally badly behaved, not the dogs!

My final couple are in their 80s and Rosie, the rescue dog who has plainly landed in clover, has transformed their lives.

So thank you, Universe, for listening, although to be honest I think it’s Soho and Mark who have lucked out here!