Hege Hurdewell & Snazzy Tazzy

 

Pet name: Tazzy

Born: March 1998

Breed: Whippet x Collie

Owned, loved & handled by Hege Hurdwell

 

 

Tazzy came into my life very unexpectedly through my work in the community, I had known her since she was 9 months old when she lived with a family who had got her on the spur of the moment as 2 other previous family's had not been able to cope with a puppy. They thought they could but had never owned a dog before & soon found they could not cope either. I tried to offer some advice but it all fell on deaf ears, they were not interested in doing any training as they did not have the time and were not prepared to spend any money on her as they could think of better things to spend their money on, certainly not on a dog. Their solution was to acquire a small dog as a companion for Tazzy. It was clear things were not as they should be and I had offered to give Tazzy a good home but it was declined as the mother said the teenage children were too attached to her.

 

Months later out of the blue I got a phone call from my boss who said Tazzy, (who was now 18 months old), was in the office and was mine if I wanted her otherwise she would have to take her to our local RSPCA. I was told that my boss had gone to the family that morning and caught the mother kicking the smaller dog across the room and Tazzy petrified in the corner. She was so worried when she had seen the state of the dogs, had words with the mother who did not hesitate in giving my boss both the dogs there and then as she wanted them out!

 

I should have been over the moon but as I never thought Tazzy would be mine I had booked a puppy and the litter had just been born. I asked my boss to bring Tazzy over and I would foster her until we could find her the right home because it worried me that she would not cope with going into kennels. When she arrived she was in a state, her rear end completely bald, scared of her own shadow and so flea ridden that when you looked really closely you could see her coat moving. I took her to the vet who did skin scraping for mange but luckily it came back negative. The loss of fur was down to flea allergy and the vet told me she was borderline underweight, just skin and bone.

 

My main concern was to help Tazzy gain weight & get her to trust people especially women..... she was so scared.

My husband was not too pleased that I had brought her home as he said we could not keep her and have a puppy. I realized that and thought I would try my best to find the perfect forever home! Nearly 2 weeks after I fostered her I found her a home, my husband's uncle had just lost his dog and was looking for another. I thought this would be a perfect home as Tazzy seemed more comfortable around men then women and we knew she would be well cared for.

 

After some phone calls it was arranged for me to take her over to her "new" home but when we arrived I had this funny feeling. Tazzy met my husband's uncle and she seemed fine & relaxed. We took her for a walk in his big field next door and went inside the house where she explored everywhere and she looked happy. There was only one problem, I could see everything would be perfect there for her but I felt this pain inside me, she felt like she was mine and I should not leave her. But my husband's words were in my head "you can't have her and a puppy!" After 2 hours I managed to sneak off, tears streaming down my face, back in the car I sobbed my heart out, it was the hardest thing I had ever had to do.

 

When I got home I refused to talk to my husband, I was just too upset and carried on sobbing. In the end my husband could take no more and said "cancel the puppy (which I did) and go and get Tazzy", he was also missing her!

I immediately phoned his uncle but there was no answer, I tried several times until it got too late. I knew he would not be home the following morning as he had told me that the day before so I went to an Agility show to try and cheer up a bit, to no avail. All I could think about was Tazzy, I was still so upset and when I told what had happened to some of my friends they all said the same go home and get her. The offer of using peoples mobile and lots of hugs were overwhelming. I tried phoning but still could not get through. Eventually I jumped in the car, I just had to get her back!

 

I stopped on the way and tried phoning again and at last I got an answer. I asked how Tazzy was and was told she was fine but she had been unsettled since I left her there the previous day. I started sobbing again and said I just could not be without her and could I come and get her. The answer was yes!

 

When I arrived, my husband's uncle & Tazzy were waiting outside, she went mad when she saw me and greeted me in such a way I shall never forget. My husband’s uncle said  "it is so clear that you two belong together, I already knew yesterday you'd come back for her! In the 2 weeks she had stayed with me being "fostered" we had already formed that special bond.

 

I won't say everything was easy after she came home for good, as Tazzy still had behavioural issues that needed working on. But with time & patience she has turned into the most loving special dog & she has given me so much over the years both as an agility dog and as a companion.

 

Tazzy will always be my very special girlie, she truly is a dog in a million and those who know her and have seen her progress from the day I got her will say "she really is special"

 

Here's to many more happy years, Thank you Tazzy!