But we gave Cosmo his furry tail ending
Lauren Garnett, 29, Brampton
Pouring food into a line of bowls, I heard the pack of dogs scurrying over. ‘Breakfast time!’
I grinned, as tails wagged.
It was September 2023, and I was a volunteer at Wood Green rescue centre.
A life-long animal lover, I’d always worked with dogs – as a walker, then pet-sitter, now at the rescue.
Me and my partner, Mark, 36, had five cats at home, too.
From cleaning out the rescue dogs’ kennels to teaching them tricks, I loved every minute.
But it wasn’t always fun and games.
Neglected and abandoned dogs brought in broke my heart.
Who could do such a thing? I’d think.
The following month, I was at home when a work
friend sent me a photo.
A litter of seven puppies who’d just arrived at the shelter in a bad way.
Builders brought them in, my friend explained.
The bloke, Lloyd, had found them dumped in a roadside ditch on the way to work.
The terrified pups yelped when he tried to pick them up.
So he and his colleagues bundled them into an empty brick bag, before fetching a dog crate from home and bringing them to the rescue.
‘Thank goodness they were found,’ I told Mark.
Visiting the rescue a few days later, I saw the new arrivals for myself.
Around 10 weeks old, they were malnourished, their fur patchy, skin red from mange, a disease caused by mites.
Gradually, the mixed-breed puppies were nursed back to health.
As they grew, they started showing their personalities, too. And I couldn’t resist… ‘What if we adopted one?’
I asked Mark.
He raised a thoughtful eyebrow at me.
We’d always wanted a dog, but with five cats, it was hard to find a good fit.
But with these pups so young, we could easily raise one to socialise with feline friends.
‘Why not!’
Mar
