Hi, my name is April

Hi, my name is April. I am a miniature black and tan short-haired dachshund. Next month will be my 8^th birthday (hence the name). Thus in human years I am 56… and therefore a woman in the prime of her life…. no sniggers please…

Me and the garden

I now live with David, Catherine and Christopher in Southend. I have been with them for two years. Before settling here, my life has been quite varied. I have a full pedigree and initially it was hoped I would be a show dog. I loved it…. all the bathing and pampering, and people adoring me…. it really was quite hard work….I was in Crufts but didn’t win (I have always been convinced it was a fix) and my owners decided I wasn’t going to make enough money for them via that route. They therefore decided that I would be used to produce more pedigree pups. Its quite fun to begin with, but the novelty of kids around your knees, especially when you are so near to the ground, soon wears off! Then the absolute cheek, they said I was too old to breed and I was sold to a lovely old couple. Then the  lady had a stroke, and they couldn’t look after me, and the nice retirement I had dreamt of seemed to be slipping away. Then my new family came into my life.

At Christmas, it was discovered that I had cancer. I had an operation and its all gone. I was looking in the mirror and I still think I am as beautiful as the first day I walked into the show ring, all shiny preened and gorgeous. There is a reality that life isn’t as simple as it was then so I have decided that despite being very small, (yet perfectly formed) I could do something to help others. One suggestion was that I could become a PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog, but our lives are too busy for any regular volunteering. What I do have time for is a bit of fundraising. It wont take long, and every little helps. We can all do something you know.

So Pam has persuaded me to go on a sponsored run. We cooked it up one afternoon. She was enjoying a sneaky gin and tonic (rocket fuel for us gals you know) and I was basking in some winter sunshine. Two charities she is involved in were taking part in a 10k run…. and that is where the story really begins….