I couldn’t bear to see any animal consigned to the scrapheap — least of all my beloved Doris. By Sarah Bache, 49
I was at a family friend’s christening and I couldn’t take my eyes off one of the other guests.
‘I’m Sarah,’ I smiled as the handsome stranger invited me to wet the baby’s head.
‘Cheers,’ he replied. ‘I’m Gordon!’
We swapped numbers and in a matter of days we were texting morning, noon and night.
I felt completely comfortable around Gordon and our first date felt like it could have been our 10th.
Only, there was one thing we hadn’t discussed.
‘There’s something I need to tell you,’ I said, steeling myself to broach the topic.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Should I get ready to meet the kids?’
‘You’re not far off,’ I laughed. ‘I’m a fur mum!’
‘A fur what?’ he replied.
‘I have 16 animal babies,’ I explained. ‘Six budgies, a parrot, a rabbit and eight toads!’
‘Well, luckily for you I happen to like animals,’ he smiled. ‘I can’t wait to meet them all.’
It was such a relief.
I knew I couldn’t be in a relationship with someone who wouldn’t accept my fur babies.
After all, we came as a package deal!
Soon, Gordon was round most evenings and weekends, helping to feed and clean up after my beastly brood.
‘You’re a natural,’
I beamed.
‘Like a duck to water,’ he laughed. ‘One of the only animals that you seem not to have!’
He treated each and every creature as if they were his own, and I knew it meant he was serious.
Just 18 months into our relationship we tied the knot.
Like a real-life Mr and Mrs Doolittle, we added more and more rescue animals to our menagerie, including, but not limited to, 64 battery hens rescued from the slaughter.
It gave us a warm fuzzy feeling to know we’d saved them from such a brutal end.
After rescuing dozens of animals in need, I then wanted to fill the house with the joy
of a puppy.
‘What do you think?’ I asked Gordon.
‘Why not?’ he encouraged. ‘We’d give it a good home after all.’
Wasting no time, I excitedly scrolled through pictures from a local breeder.
‘That’s the one!’ I cried.
‘She’s a beauty,’ Gordon agreed as we flicked through more pictures of Doris the dachshund.
‘And only 12 weeks old,’ I gushed. ‘Our very own baby!’
I couldn’t stop looking at her adorable big eyes, staring back at me through the screen.
Please give me a home, they seemed to say.
Two days later, we went to meet her and as Doris sat on my knee, I fell in love.
‘Let’s have a think about it,’ I told Gordon, trying to be sensible.
‘I know you really want her,’ he replied. ‘So, let’s snap her up.’
And just like that, Doris the dachsund was ours.
She still needed all her jabs, and it was another six weeks before we could collect her, but it was worth the wait.
‘Welcome home, Doris,’ I said happily, stroking her little head and floppy ears.
She settled in perfectly and was keen to get to know all her brothers and sisters.
Only, just four days in, Gordon gave me a call.
‘There’s something wrong with Doris,’ he said. ‘Her breathing isn’t right.’
‘Take her to the vet,’ I replied, hoping that it wasn’t anything serious.
Later on, he called me back, explaining that Doris had a lung problem and she was being referred to a specialist.
‘I hope she’ll be OK,’ I fretted as I made my way home.
After a CT scan and more tests, the vet had some worrying news for us.
‘She’s got pneumonia and canine megaoesophagus,’ he said.
‘Mega what?’ I replied.
He explained it was a life-long disorder.
Doris’s oesophagus was too dilated, which meant it wasn’t able to move food and liquids into the stomach properly.
‘She’ll have to be fed in a highchair,’ the vet said.
‘A highchair?’ I asked. ‘Like a baby?’
‘It’s so she can be fed from above, which will help the food move down her oesophagus,’
he explained.
I couldn’t believe it when I read that some vets recommended euthanising dogs who had the disorder.
I’m going to do as much as I can for her, I vowed.
We were relieved when Doris’s pneumonia passed, but dealing with her digestive problems became a big part of our lives.
At first, I had to use a plant pot with a blanket in as a makeshift highchair.
There was only one company in the UK that made them specially, and they were £400 a pop.
I was unable to foot the bill, so eventually a friend made Doris her own custom-built highchair.
‘It’s perfect!’ I beamed, admiring her new Disney-themed chair.
‘She really is a princess on her throne,’ Gordon agreed.
Besides feeding Doris in the chair four times a day, we also had to burp her afterwards.
‘She really is like our baby,’ Gordon chuckled.
Not only that, after every meal we had to keep her upright, to help the food go down.
Swaddled in a blanket after every feed, she’d fall asleep in my arms.
‘Is it that time already?’ I asked as the alarm went off.
‘Yesss,’ groaned Gordon.
It was midnight, which meant it was time for Doris’s daily neck massage, to move any trapped saliva down her throat.
Her condition meant she was sick more than most dogs, and we were constantly worried she’d choke.
But she powered through, a real trooper.
‘Happy birthday, darling, Doris,’ I gushed as I spoon- fed my pampered pooch her special diet of Aberdeen Angus steak and organic vegetables, whizzed up together.
‘She certainly has expensive taste,’ Gordon joked.
‘You get steak on your birthday, so why shouldn’t Doris?’ I replied.
Not long after, I received a call from the local kennels. They had a dachshund called Cinders who had the same condition as Doris.
‘I’ll take her,’ I replied, without a second thought.
Less than a year later, I adopted River, who had the same condition too.
It felt amazing being able to give them a good home, when it was likely no one else would take them on.
Doris would nuzzle the other rescue pups, as though she was mummy. And of course she was more than happy to share her highchair — after it was her turn, of course!
But rescuing animals, and giving them a chance at life, doesn’t come cheap, which is why we were so grateful when that’s life! gave us £300 to put towards her ongoing vet bills.
She’s one of 10 dogs that we own, along with 80 other animals, but there’s no doubting Doris is top dog.
Sure, it’s hard work, but how many people can say they have their own petting zoo at home!
Now Doris, Cinders and River have become the talk of the town on social media, boasting more than 11,000 followers on their shared Facebook page.
I just hope it raises awareness of their condition and shows people that it doesn’t have to be a death sentence.
Our pet pals show us so much compassion, I wish more humans would return the favour.