TARNISHED GOLD

As soon as I read the first paragraph of David Tomlinson’s article [Celebrating 150 years of the golden retriever, September issue], I began to nod vigorously. I always believed golden retrievers to be big, soppy, family dogs. How wrong I was.

Walking our two labs on New Year’s Day on the tow path on the River Lagan off leads, I was approached by a woman with two young children and a retriever off lead. No problem, I thought. As we passed the retriever and my black lab had a brief set-to, after which my lab was limping. I called the ‘on call’ vet and met at the surgery to discover the retriever had ripped open his lower fore paw on both sides, severing the tendon and narrowly missing the nerve. I mentioned my surprise at the retriever’s behaviour to the vet

but she said several that came to the practice had to be muzzled before examination. Bud is now fully fit and looking forward to the new season.

Ian Murray Lisburn, County Antrim