I need Advice Desperately Re My Ageing JR Questions

So glad you have found 'your vet'. We had a brilliant one called Paolo. A Spanish guy that was so very, very compassionate and was known to sleep in the surgery when he had a dog there that was 'touch and go'. Unfortunately for us, he went back to Spain to start his own surgery.

Mr Piddles looks fantastic for his age and I love his dog collar. He seems so at home at the church that the collar is simply 'right'.

Morning Carole! Eddie is lovely! Bless his heart. I'm sure just the sight of the vet's must make him shake. Mr Piddles has always been relatively pragmatic about going to the vet. It has only been a process for him until recently. His 'frustration' has often been with the Veterinary Services at the borders when we transit France and particularly Russia, which I decided a long time ago that it was better to have him stay at the home in Moldova if I had to cross the Ukrainian border into Russia. That is the only place where he and I ever had trouble, and the immigration officials actually hurt Piddles. It was outrageous! They were trying to intimidate me as I'm on some dossier which says I do not write favourable things about Mother Russia.. (and they are correct! I don't!).
But now that's all behind him. Last night I made a small ginger cake as I know that P likes ginger and I'm told it's quite good for a dog's (and our) digestive tracks.
P wouldn't touch the cake last night. And this morning he just doesn't want to get out of bed. So, I've tried serving him some cake pieces in bed. He grudgingly took a small piece, but he's not showing interest. I'm afraid he's quite weak.
I have a bereavement visit to do in a bit and Piddles has always gone with me. However, if he's this weak, I might have to leave him at home whilst I visit. I won't be more than 2 hours. But I don't like the idea of leaving him alone. I've just phoned my friend, Dianne, to see if she can stay with him. He loves her and she nurses him like a baby.
As much as I dread this, I fear I can see him becoming weaker each day. Crum, now the tears are streaming as I write. Oh well. Thank you SO much for sharing the photos of your lovely E. I will go look at the other area when I return.

PAX!
Fr B+

Good morning Toed!
How beautiful Bat Dog and Moose-Dog are! It saddens me deeply to understand that you lost both of them at about the same time. I can't imagine. Well, actually, I can. It's the same here and it's the same when I remove children's bodies from the sewers in Romania. In the previous weeks I'd visit them and was worried, knowing my staff and I could bring food, but these children were feral and simply could not fit in my homes as they'd be a danger to the other children. Most of the children suffer from paediatric AIDS or HIV and Hepatitis. And the glue and spirits many of them are addicted to means their lives are tentative at best. But they deserve the same love and care as I provide for Mr Piddles.

You are correct, Mr Piddles has an amazing following. He's on BBC Radio with me once a month and receives fan mail from as far away as Australia. He does dutifully try to answer everyone, despite his dyslexia. He and I sat cuddled up together last night chatting about what we will need to say in the future. Mr Piddles typically goes to bed at night, with his nose pressed up beneath my chin. I never dare move away until he begins snoring. But last night he gave me his hind legs instead. I won't read anything into it, other than perhaps his breathing is becoming a bit laboured. For years, I've used him as a 'pro-tem' pillow on occasions, especially on long flights. And when my daughter travels with us on overnight flights Mr Piddles has always been a 'head-warmer' for her. It's quite funny to see.

Thank you for sharing your woofs with me, I'm so very grateful!

I wish you peace in all your days

Fr B+

Good morning Chris!
Thank you so very much! Indeed, Mr Piddles fits in beautifully at church. It has been his life, and he guards it with reverence and an attentive eye to welcome everyone, whether it's on Sunday, or just when tourists come to visit.
He has had a great deal of diversity over the years as he has been called to celebrate with me at numerous churches here in England and on The Continent. (However, there's only one Orthodox Church who joyfully receives him, and it's in a Western corner of Moldova.) Oh well. Funeral Directors love him, and he's been on the front pages of countless 'industry' magazine, showing Mr Piddles leading services for farmers, or once on a motorcycle, or horse-drawn carriages, or even once with a dance troupe.

Don't we all wish there were more 'Paolo's around? Sad for your loss of him, but grateful that he's offering loving support for animals in España. Several years ago I met with the new director for Blue Cross, trying to convince her to expand into Romania and Moldova where we are desperate for veterinary services. I had located several nominal grants through the EU and was working to obtain some private funding. However, the board decided it was just too vast an undertaking, especially as we have such great needs here for our own animals. But, I still try to lure the occasional vet out there with me.

Most people in England don't realise how dogs, in particular, are treated in Romania and Moldova. Each Autumn there is an annual cull in Bucharest, particularly around Gara du Norde - the mammoth rail terminal in the city where homeless dogs live. And, to my constant distress, you can always find small, defenceless dogs, such as miniature poodles, chihuahua's and even JR's that have either been disposed of there, or most cruelly, in a fit of domestic abuse, a boyfriend, who may have given the dog to his girlfriend as a present, breaks up with her, then takes the dog and disposes of it at the terminal. I, personally, have rescued three of the animals and found homes for them. And on one occasion, a tiny little poodle with a ribbon in its hair was in distress running back and forth across the station, frightened to death. I had to corner the poor animal, throwing my coat over it then wrapping it into my arms. To my own distress, I was just leaving to come back to London and all I could do was to approach families, or women with their daughter's and offer them money to take the dog for me. I found one lady in her thirties with a little girl about 10 years old and told her what had happened and asked her if I could give the dog to them as a gift. The woman said they couldn't afford a dog. But her daughter defiantly interjected, 'Yes we can!' And the mother acquiesced. I gave the child €30 and told her that was for food and for them to take the dog to a vet to get inoculations. The child, wide-eyed as she held the little poodle and took the money into her hand, said she had never seen so much money. I gave the mother my card and told her to email me, or write me if they had any problems, and I would see how I might help. But I never heard from them.

Travelling from London to Bucharest, I typically arrive at night. I have to take a van from Henri Coandă airport to the rail link that takes me into the Bucharest rail terminal. Every night I step off that van, there's a pack of about 8 older dogs hanging around the platform, hoping someone will feed them. My wonderful friends at BA have always emptied the galley of any leftover sandwiches from the forward galley. And last year I had one Senior actually ask passengers in coach that if they were not going to finish the sandwiches they had purchased, could they please set it aside and the crew would collect it separately for some worthy dogs, patiently awaiting Mr Piddles and my arrival in Bucharest.
Thank you again for your kind words. I'll see if I have some other piccies of Mr Piddles in Church. He's quite a reverent dyslexic, always showing his faith in DOG!
Be well

Fr B+ and, of course....The Venerable Mr Piddles+