Beccy Garner & Milo ( Harlequin Trailblazer)

People with rescue dogs often say that their dog chose them as oppose to the other way round.  This was certainly the case with Milo and I.

It was Christmas 2002 and I had taken a food collection from work to the local cats and dogs home, Leicester Animal Aid, based in Huncote, Leicestershire.  Whilst there I asked if I could have a look round.  Milo was the only dog that wasn’t jumping up at the bars of the kennels, barking.  He was curled up in a little ball, he just raised his head and his tail gave a couple of thumps and then he tucked his head back in to his body as if to say ‘I know you won’t be interested in me’.

For the next couple of days, this image was in my head and I couldn’t quite shake it off.  Needless to say, I went back to LAA on Christmas Eve, met him and reserved him.

His background was that he had been gifted in to the centre as there was an illness in the family that had him and they couldn’t cope with him any longer.  He was about 8 months old when I chose him, and he had been at the centre for 3 months.

It was clear quite early on that he was nervous of strangers, especially men, as he either cowered away or launched at them, barking to scare them off and heaven help any passing joggers or cyclists!  To this day, he is still the same and I have to be sure to tell people that meet him that he is best ignored so that he can come around in his own time.

I saw a poster at a teashop on one of the walks that I take him on, advertising agility for fun. 

I thought that as he was a bit of a speed demon and pretty clever that I’d give that a go.  The rest, as they say, is history.  We got well and truly bitten by the bug.  I never intended on competing him, I didn’t think we were good enough, but with a bit of encouragement from Jill and the wonderful crowd at Harlequin agility, we set off to EMDAC with some trepidation (and several pre-run trips to the toilet).  In our very first agility class Milo came 11th, I was so proud of how far he’d come.  This clever young boy was a million miles from the curled up black ball of fluff that I first saw some 18 months earlier.  He has finished in the top 3 in half a dozen classes and if he goes clear he is generally placed.  I can’t ask for any more than that.  Milo qualified by the skin of his teeth for the DARL finals in Kent last year and came a very credible 6th.  He never lets me down. 

I’m very proud to have a rescue dog and we do whatever we can to promote them.  For the last 3 years Milo and I have taken part in the Rescue Dog Agility Demonstration Team at Crufts, Wag n Bone and Discover Dogs.  A local journalist heard about this and asked to do a piece on him for the local paper.  Her first question?  “What does he rescue…….”? 

We’ve just enjoyed this year’s outing to Crufts.  We were all lucky enough to show off our dogs in the main arena which seats over 6000 people.  On Sunday there must have been around 5000 watching, which was such a fantastic feeling.  Having the chance to do something you love on the biggest stage without the nerves of competing. 

Through Milo I have made many new friends and have also joined Leicester Animal Aid as a committee member.  We also make a point taking him on a holiday each year.  Milo is an affectionate, soppy, mummy’s boy who tries his hardest to please.  He is very tolerant, especially as we’ve just had a new addition to the family in the form of Tilly, a crossbreed puppy (and a mini version of Milo – see her diary on the DARL pages).

He’s my one in a million and I’d never be without him, Beccy