Helen Norton & Vixen (Magic Mischief Maker)
Vixen will be 12years old in February 2007, she is one of five rescues that I own. I adopted her when she was 6mths old in August 1995, I had two other dogs at the time and I worked at the RSPCA in Leicester, I remember we were sitting in 
the office just before 5pm one evening waiting for the ok to go home when a chap came to the main gate with a boxer on piece of bailing twine and a little collie following him, off lead, so close she was tripping over his heels, both dogs were in poor condition you could count the ribs on the boxer. He told us he had “fount them wandering 5 days ago but couldn’t keep them any longer” and handed them over, the boxer was really pleased to see everyone but the little collie was petrified, a colleague picked her up, but as the chap was leaving she started struggling and screaming to follow him, he never looked back and as she wiggled free of Hayleys arms she squeezed through the gap in the door and ran straight into the glass of the next door in her attempt to follow him. I picked her up and took her to her kennel, she was fretting all the way trying to escape.
As I sat in her kennel watching her gulp her food down my colleague said to me “that’s your next dog” I laughed and said “ no way I can’t have another,” but she was right, I went home that night and couldn’t stop thinking about her, I couldn’t sleep. Next morning I went to work early to see her, and that was that, I was hooked she came home with me that night. Each day I took her back to work with me and she followed me everywhere tripping over my heels just as she had to the chap who brought her in. As a stray I couldn’t officially adopt her until she had been in the kennels for 7 days, but I had no doubt that no one would admit to owning her and her boxer brother as they were in such poor condition. No one came for her.
She came home with problems, I say problems but they were more likely due to poor training and bad experiences in her former home, she wasn’t housetrained, stole food, she suffered separation anxiety, she screamed and howled when she was left, poo’ed and chewed. Suffered terrible car sickness, she used to start drooling the instant you picked the car keys up, even if it was just a five minute journey she was sick and had poo’ed in the car. These problems were minor and the love she gave back far out-weighed any of her problems, she was so responsive and willing to please, training her was easy and these problems were soon in the past. Vixen is a loyal and faithful companion, perfect in everyway.
Vixen retired from full height agility in June 2005 she started to knock poles and go intermittently lame, I gave her the rest of the season off hoping to continue when the jump heights were lowered but during this time she was diagnosed with arthritis in her right shoulder. Vixen loves exercise and agility and is still so active, Its hard for me to believe she’s getting old. She has glucosamine daily and this has enabled her to still continue jumping in veteran classes and she still runs round with the other dogs and chases her ball like a 2year old.
Apart from agility Vixen has attained her Good Citizen Bronze, Silver and Gold award, she has accompanied me into schools and clubs teaching responsible dog ownership to children, and how to prevent children being bitten. She loves swimming and diving into water from heights. She has walked 100miles around
Thanks to Karen and Darl for organising this league and promoting Rescue dogs and showing what can be attained with a second hand dog. Thanks to The Groomery for sponsoring the Allsorts category and Thanks also to all the shows that have put on that extra class for those
dogs who cannot compete at full height but still enjoy taking part.
Well done to all those who choose to give a dog a second chance and Good luck to everyone for 2007.
