Newsletters
From Autumn 2008 Issue
Animal Saints In Times Of War
A dear friend of past acquaintance down the years is
the prolific writer Rebecca Hall Hughes. Concerning animals in times of
war, she wrote to me of the following incidents:
One of the first reported incidemnts of the RSPCA at
the outbreak of war was that of a cat who, when after hours of digging
through rubble, was rescued, bedraggled and frightened.. They tried to
persuade her in to a basket, but she refused, and tried to go back in to
the hole from which she had been rescued.. The inspector dug further and
found a small, black dog, badly wounded. He was lifted out and cared
for, to the evident satisfaction of the cat. The rescue workers later
discovered that the two were inseperable pets of a family who, except
for one member, had all been killed on the night of the raid.
Daisy was the dog mascot of a Norwegian trawler,
which was torpedoed. The members of thew crew not killed outriught were
thrown in to the icy sea. Daisy went with them and throughout the night
swam from one to the other, licking their faces, giving them
encouragment and comfort. When the men were eventually picked up they
were full of praise for the dog who had kept their spirits high when
they were so near to death.. She aroiused a good deal of public
intertest abd her photo wa\s displayed outside the Jermyn street offices
of the RSPCA where many people enquired after her..
La Cloche was a white Labrador-type of dog belonging
to a French marine who sailed with her master on SS Mekness iun 1940, a
ship carrying hundreds of repatriated Frenchmen. La Cloche would not
leave her master’s heels; perhaps she sensed danger; for the ship was
torpedoed. The man could not swim, but the dog who was left behind,
jumped after him and held his head above water until he was rescued. The
swell washed the dog away, but she found a piece of wood and waited
until she too, was rescued, and later, dog and owner were reunited
Indeed, the above extracts are taken at random from
Rebecca’s book: ANIMALS ARE EQUAL; a book that she shortly intends to
update and reprint. Meanwhile she tells me that her past book could
still; be obtainable via libraries or Amazon. Well, I’m sure we are all
looking forward to her updated and revised edition of a past gem coming
out in the not too distant future.
And talking about amazing animals – yes, and on a
lighter vane, quite cute ones too! Here above, is a dog that
momentarily, possibly thought she was a seal! Yes, this is Holly Hewitt
who truly adores water. She delights to swoop down in to it, and then to
submerge and shake off the water in the presence of all with whom she
delights to come in to close proximity. Yes, who wouldn’t want to have a
dog’s life when her name is Holly, the pet of a wonderful animal rights
couple! Such creatures give out so much; yet ask for so little in
return. I knew of another rescued dog that had gone missing from its new
owners. They were completely devastated, and put in an advert on a shop
window: ‘Our pet is a rescued stray. Generous award offered for its safe
return. Has only one eye. One ear is half missing; most affectionate;
and eagerly answers to the name: Lucky!
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