Take Him Wherever You Wish, Do Whatever You Like with Him, I Can’t Take This Any Longer!

So, the other day I was doing a night shift at the office in Manchester and, halflistening, I overheard one of the lads on the phone. He was soundly frustrated, shouting: Take him wherever you like, do what you want with him, I cant deal with this any longer! I thought, What on earth are they talking about?

I asked the bloke what he meant, and he told me he was giving away his dog a German Shepherd, no less. Why? I asked. He just waved it off: Hes a nightmare. He howls at night, breaks free from his chain, sheds a mountain of hair, makes a mess in the yard, and hes useless as a guard. I felt sorry for the pooch, so I rang my dad, David, and asked if he could use a dog for his little security patch up at the cottage. After a bit, he called back saying, Sure, bring him over.

The big day arrived. We packed the car, tossed in a bandage just in case we needed to tie his mouth shut after all, we were heading for a wild beast. When we got there, the colleague was waiting with the dog. He was a gaunt, ragtag thing, fur all matted, bloodstained wounds on his head and a torn pad on one paw. His eyes were so sad it looked like he could burst into tears at any moment.

He hopped into the boot by himself, calm as a millpond, no sign of aggression. In the back seat, my sisters husband, Mark, settled in beside him, and the whole ride the dog just lay there, quiet as ever.

Once home we figured the first order of business was a collar, a leash, and a bath. Mum, Susan, and Emily peeked out from the kitchen doorway, eyes wide, halfexpecting us to have brought back a monster. While we were driving, Mum was whipping up a pot of oat porridge with bits of beef. When it was cool enough, we tossed the lad a slice of bread to try. Watching him lunge at that tiny piece was almost as painful as seeing his wounds.

A healthy German Shepherd usually weighs around 35kg, but this one was down to about 20kg. The moment we set down a bowl of food, he polished it off in seconds and then plonked himself right where wed marked his spot.

A little while later, Mum went to wash his bowl, holding it behind her back. Suddenly she felt something tug gently at it. It was Caesar thats the name we gave him and he snatched the bowl with his teeth, carried it to his corner, and lay down as if to say, Thats mine, Ill look after it myself. We hadnt planned on keeping a fiveyearold male dog in a flat; we thought Mum would be horrified. But her heart melted, and nobody could turn away such a loyal mate.

After a good scrub and a brushout, Caesar looked like a new dog. The next day I drove him to the local vet. They explained how to treat his injuries, I bought the meds, and over the next couple of weeks we got all his shots sorted. I didnt blame his previous owners maybe hed actually run away and pick up those wounds on the streets.

When Caesar was fully recovered, we started a training course. In the summer, Dad would take him down to the cottage where he turned into a proper guard: no stranger would get near the fence. And youd be hardpressed to argue with a 40kg bundle of muscle.

Eight years have rolled by now. Caesars had two operations first a hernia repair, then some complications afterward. His joints are gnarly, hes got arthritis, but we keep looking after him, pampering him like a baby. Mum calls him my lad and spoils him just the same. I cant understand how anyone could’ve given away such a dog. Hes the epitome of devotion and softness. Sure, looking after a pet takes effort, but no one of us can picture the house without him. If Dads not home or one of us is away, Caesar gets sad, wont eat, just waits.

A couple of years after Caesar showed up, our old cat, Whiskers, whod been with the family for over eighteen years, passed away. It seems fate had other plans: a kitten was abandoned in our blocks hallway. Neighbours fed it, and I realised I couldnt leave that little thing out in the November chill. Now that cheeky, bold cat, called Eva, lives with us.

Seriously, folks, be kinder to animals. They feel everything pain, love, everything. Just choose love.