Sara's Story (Kamet Feriana )
In September 2005 I had made the decision that I wanted a rescue dog, I thought I'd like a boxer and started to look at dogs at the Bristol Dogs Home website. One night an old dog caught my eye, there was just something about her. Two days later I met this old, pathetic looking, quivering wreck of a dog which looked like it was growling at me. I couldnt fathom out why this dog looked so unattractive but then I was told that she didnt have any teeth, apart from one. It was her top lip which was pinned behind her one and only bottom tooth that made her look like she was growling. She was shaking un-controllably and was frantically trying to climb up onto the kennel girl who was knelt down in front of her.
For a split second, I thought 'what an ugly looking dog!' but that's all it was.....a split second. Before I knew it I was babbling away because I wanted this desperate dog there and then. We took her for a walk, Jason and I bonded with her straight away but we were just adding to her fear and anxiety because she was so frightened and nervous. We took her back to her enclosure and I remember her looking so stressed. She was panting a hundred miles an hour and her body was ridged. 
This was on the Tuesday. By Friday, she was in a whole new different world. She was bombarded with so much love, so much food, so many walks, even though she couldnt walk very far because of Arthritis in her back legs. I just knew I had to keep her walking and her walking did get better over time.
Mum and dad fell in love with her. She was such a dainty old girl who walked so proud and turned out to be such a happy little soul even though she never got over her fear of men. Even if they were walking on the other side of the street she'd stop in her tracks and freeze or panic and try pulling to get away. She had a beautiful long straight tail. Sounds silly but it's one of the things that I remember about her. She also had jet black toe nails even though her feet were white (with age I presume). She always came to bed with me and Jason, she liked that and now I have another 3 of the little darlings I realise she loved the feeling of snuggling up to us and knowing we were there.
Straight away I realised she was epileptic and was having up to 8 seizures a night so I didnt really did get much sleep for 6 months because I would be woken up every time and would spend ages stroking and reassuring her. Medication helped but didnt totally stop them.
She would follow me everywhere I went, if I walked from one side of the room she would follw me to the other side. If I went to the loo, she'd follow me. If I went out, Jason would tell me she was crying after me. She was my girl, she was my absolute darling and the love I had for her was just unreal. 
I was told she was 11 years old by Bristol dogs home but have since learned that she was 13. She tore my heart out when she became unwell. She kept getting diahorrea and lost loads of weight in a very short space of time. She went in the vets to go on a drip as she became dehydrated. I phoned up several times and could hear her breaking her heart in the background because she must have thought I'd put her back in the dogs home or abandoned her. We went to see her that night and she looked awful and pitiful, they sedated her to calm her down.
I was so excited to go and get her the next day, I was calling her name as the nurse went to get her. It was fantastic, she went bananas to see me. We got in the car and she whined all the way home with excitement. She ran round and round the house, up and down the stairs. She even made a fuss of Jason who she was still wary of due to her distrust of men. She was like a difference dog because the day before she was in danger of her vital organs shutting down due to dehydration. She went on for another 2 weeks but became unwell again so I took her to the vet and she died in my arms with me telling her how much I loved her.
People told me over and over how lucky she was to have found happiness in her life but that means very little when she had 12 1/2 years of misery (I pick my words politely as I dont want to offend anyone with what I really think). She now sits up on a shelf in the front room and I have her pictures all over the house, so she is still her with her mummy and daddy. Little did I know I'd end up having 2 of her kids ( Topsy and Arrow ) move in with us a few days later.......
My 3 rescue Sloughis now have Sara to thank because if she wasnt the sweetheart she was, Effie , Topsy and Arry wouldnt be here now.
Written by Rachel Jones
Sara was mother of Arrow, Topsy and Troy. She was great Aunt of Ceaser, half sister of Belle and half sister of Effie
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