Join for part two of our Content and Events Producer Marina’s blog series, about the special story of her little dog Benny. You can read part one here.
Welcome back reader. We start Benny’s next adventure, with a glimpse into the present. Last night, we had a late night rush to the emergency vet’s after Benny awoke from his evening nap, and began screaming in pain, holding his paw up and dashing into my lap. No time was wasted, and we were in the car on our way driving as quickly – and as gently – as we could to get him seen as soon as possible.
Fear not, reader: Benny is ok. He’d jumped down off our sofa earlier that evening (he rufuses to use the low step we’ve put in, to help his ageing limbs) to greet us at the door as is his way, and must have fallen slightly off (so we imagine, we couldn’t see). He’d limped a bit as he met us at the door, then shook it off – and whilst we spent the next hour checking his leg over, fretting and watching him walk, all seemed fine.
He’d snuggled down and fallen alseep beside us, but then…
The emergency vet was amazing, no time was wasted and Benny was rushed in, fussed over and thoroughly checked. It turned out nothing was broken or fractured, and the vet surmised that he must have strained his leg when he jumped, and that, coupled with his arthritis, made him awake hours later in pain. Relief flooded over us, and Benny too – as an opiod injection was given to help him settle for the evening. With the vet happy, some pain meds given for the next few days and an order of strict rest for Benny, we set off home with a rather spaced out little legs, sitting happily on my partner’s lap as I drove us home.
We have an immense love for our animals, and there is no length we won’t got to, to make sure they are happy and have what they need. So very late last night, we settled Benny into a corner of the living room as we set about the task of removing any and everything Benny could possibly jump up on to, to make sure his little leg could heal. One hour later, and a front room turned into a giant dog bed (with our sofa upended and stood up on its side), we decided we had Benny-proofed the place, and gently placed him into his new dog heaven floor bed, with copious soft blankets and duvets.
And we laid there with him and our other dog Des by his side, until he fell peacefully asleep.
A very fussed over Benny
He woke today, still rather dazed but regaining his full-of-beans self, but it was a reminder that his years are passing by, and how far we are now from the story I am going to tell you – about Benny’s first big adventure.
As I recounted in part one, Benny may only be 10lbs, but he has the mightiest spirit I have ever encountered in a dog. And his first adventure speaks volumes about just how small but mighty he is.
It was a warm, summer’s day back in 2012. I was just at the start of one of my favourite local walking spots with my dogs – Mincinglake Valley Park in Exeter. I had Benny and Frankie with me, my giant but gentle female german shepherd. The valley was busy with other dog owners, and I wanted to get to the peak quickly, so we could enjoy the views at the top.
Frankie and Benny at our favourite walking spot, Mincinglake Valley Park
So, I decided to take us up a back walking lane, which most people didn’t use. We were halfway up the steep climb of Mile Lane, when I heard a thundering sound behind us, followed by a panicked sounding owner yelling out a dog’s name ‘Bruno, Bruno, BRUNO COME HERE!’. You know that sense you have when you hear an owner shout like that, with a sense of urgency? That makes you feel worried to turn around and see what’s coming….Yeah, that.
But I did turn around, just in time to see at the bottom of Mile Lane the most ENORMOUS roitweiller I have ever seen IN MY LIFE. His head was the size of my backside (no small feat) and he was running, at quite a pace, directly for us. I love rotties, I think they are one of the softest, gentlest dogs there is, who are particularly wonderful with children. However, the determination in his eyes as he thundered towards us told me this big boy may not be coming over to play.
I stood there – trying to work out our exits, but we were in an enclosed lane, with high banks either side and a steep climb ahead to reach the next gate. My big german shepherd Frankie ran behind my legs, scared (she was always a big softie) and I knew in that moment I had to get both of the dogs out of there. But then…
WOOF WOOF! WOOOOOOF WOOOOOOF WOOOOOF! I looked down, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Whilst my 25kg Frankie was cowering, and I was stood there trying to work out what to do, little legs Benny had taken it upon himself to save the day. He marched determinedly forwards, declaring his ground in front of us. My instinct was to to try and shoo him away or stop him, but there was no time and before I knew it, this Bruno was upon us – but stopped in his tracks as Benny jumped forwards again with a loud dominant WOOF that quite literally made this ginormous roitweiller jump, and stop dead.
The big rottie looked at him, curious, as if asking ‘What is that?’. He cocked his head, and then almost as if to say ‘Well I don’t care’ he went to go forward again, lurching towards my shep Frankie, who was in no mood to say hello to this domineering, and quite frankly, scary fellow.
WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!
Bruno the rottie stopped again, Benny barking any time he tried to move his feet. Then what I saw next was (forgve me reader) the funniest – and quite unbelievable – battle of wills ever. Bruno went to step again to test Benny’s resolve, and with that Benny jumped, soared up into the air, and clamped himself onto the rottie’s neck, hanging there.
Now, I do not condone any dog biting another and none of my dogs have ever been so inclined or encouraged to do so. But in this situation, I genuinely think Benny believed he was fighting for his life, seeing off a real threat – and protecting me and Frankie. Luckily Benny is a small dog, and Bruno didn’t seem bothered one bit – more confused. (No mark was made, I did check after with the owner – Benny’s bite was likely no more then a tickle to this big boy). But it did stop him, and Benny let go, standing stockily in front of him holding his ground, until Bruno decided it wasn’t worth it, and started slowly making his way back to his owner who was by now huffing and puffing, running up Mile Lane to catch him.
All was well, but I was stunned. The spirit of this tiny dog who was barely the size of this Bruno’s paw; and his first action was to go straight to Frankie’s side, and they nose bopped as they did – checking each other over.
I think Frankie was as shocked as me, and from that moment onwards their love and bond just grew and grew. And we made it to the top that day, and enjoyed the view together as we would go on to do for another 8 years.
Me, Frankie and Benny at the peak
Always by each other’s side
Frankie and Benny’s bond and love
And my respect for him grew too. There is nothing that I’ve ever seen hold this little legs back, not even his ever progressing arthritis or those days where the short walks we do now mean I have to carry him some of the way home. Because that sparkle of spirit is always there; even late last night at the emergency vets as he was waiting to go in and another dog came in – I saw his eyes dart over, assessing the dog and checking we were ok.
What an amazing little one. And so are his tales, and his biggest adventure yet – to come in part three.
This weekend we’ll be spending it sitting on the floor of our living room and the sofa will remain as an ornament for now, thrust up against the wall, as we sit next to little Benny and force him to rest. Give all your four leggeds a pet for me tonight, and if you’ve got a story about them I’d love to hear it!
Until next time,
Marina