Gary and I had arranged to visit friends in Bedlington, Northumberland one Saturday evening.  It was early November and quite a cool, frosty evening as we drove up the A1.  We turned off the slip road to drive through the outskirts of the village. On our way, there is a residential Gypsy camp that we pass, and that was out first glimpse of Ellie, a little black puppy, jumping around and struggling to get away from the rope she was attached to and tied to a post, we could see this through the headlights of our car as we drove slowly through the narrow road. There were around four kids letting off and throwing fireworks around her, she was absolutely petrified.

 

We couldn’t believe what we were seeing, I started crying and shouting at Gary to do something, Gary stopped the car got out and ran over to the kids who were between 10 and 16 years old, Gary confronted them, a few choice words were exchanged, and Gary remembered one of them shouting “were bored.”  Gary took out his wallet and throw what money he had at them, they were like scavengers frantically picking up the crumpled notes Gary throw, he shouted at them to “go away” in his best French!

 

Gary untied Ellie from the fence post his hands trembling as he hurried to let her loose, I was looking around in case the kids came back with others, once Ellie was free she ran around a little then came over to me and literally ran up my body and hung around my neck licking my face, then she leaped down and ran to Gary jumping up at him trying to lick him he grabbed her we then jumped into the car and we were off, driving back home.

 

Once safely back home we sat down and thought what the bloody hell have we just done, Ellie sat there in the middle of the living room looking around bewildered at her new surroundings and we thought “what an ugly little dog you are” she had big poppy eyes, a huge fat belly full of worms and skinny legs.  The next day we took her to the vets, got her wormed and checked over the vet thought she was around 10 weeks old.  After a few weeks of getting used to her new home and new brother & sister Sooty & Sweep she started to come round a little and began to settle.

 

One day I picked her up to cuddle her and felt what could only be described as a subtle thud in her hip region I took her to the vets where she was sedated and x-rayed only to discover she had hip dysplasia, we immediately booked her in to be spayed as we did not want any accidents.  Once Ellie recovered from this ordeal we then noticed that she kept going lame in her back legs, her left was the worst as it used to just hang as she walked, again off to the vets. 

 

The vet thought it was something to do with the dysplasia and the alignment of the hips to the knee, so he transferred Ellie to Graham Armstrong a specialist in orthopaedics based in Gateshead.  Graham felt that due to Ellie’s dysplasia her hips to knee area were not aligned correctly, her left side being the worst causing her knee to keep popping out consequently making her leg hang.  Graham felt that operating was the only option, channelling a grove into her bone where her patella would sit and tighten up all the ligaments around the area would improve Ellie’s quality of life.  Although the operation sounded horrendous we felt Ellie deserved the chance of a normal life so we went ahead. 

 

Ellie recovered very well and within 8 weeks she was darting around as though nothing had happened, what a quick healer this little girl was, everything she had been through so far in her modest life. The vet advised us to keep her weight down and exercise her as much as possible especially swimming, which she really loves, If Gary or I are running a bath she will jump in the bath and splash around if we don’t keep the door closed.  

 

Ellie now looks like she has a stiff, uneasy gait when walking but the vet said she is fine and not in any pain.  People now and again comment at shows and say to us is your dog lame, … no we say, “it’s just the way she walks”

 

Ellie had done a little agility training prior to her operation, we then resumed it when she felt able, which the vet was happy with, and Ellie is absolutely mad about as you can tell by the points she has achieved this year, and at only 3 years old she deserves it!

update:

Linda's husband Gary became Ellie's handler and in 2008:  Gary & Ellies achievements were amazing; they qualified for Crufts 2009 Medium Team event and Championship class, represented GB in Germany 2008 and finished 22nd the highest placed British medium dog, won 2 Championship classes in 2008, qualified for Olympia and finished a credible 2nd in the final, Invited to compete at Earls Court this year, gained sponsorship from "Supadog"

 

2009, saw Ellie add Agility Champion to her gowing list of achievements.