Nicky Holden &  Casca  (Kenwood Casca)  

When Karens e-mail dropped into my "in-box" I laughed out loud. Did Karen have any idea of the mammoth task she had innocently asked for? Or how a simple question would reduce me to tears, when I recall everything this amazing dog has been through? Of course not, but I will try to tell you the story of one truly fantastic dog.

Kenward Casca, otherwise known as Casca, Cas, Mud Magnet, Beardie or fondly called "Twat" buy my hubby. About 7 years old. Casca is a beardie whom is kept clipped, as one of his favourite pastimes is rolling in mud. Casca is a real family guy who loves everyone and everything. He is obsessed with yellow balls, playing frisby and swimming. He is also a total fool, why walk when you can run everywhere as fast as possible?

It was May 2005, I had lost my dearest dog "Trolly" at 19 years old, and my husband, Phil, had bought me my "dream” dog and only pedigree, Tula, a standard daxie and I also had "Shoona" a rescue Lhasa Apso. When my friend called "there is a scruffy dog looking for a good home" she said. "Let’s go and have a look”. Yes indeed, I can't look at anything without bringing it home!!

Casca was loved by his previous family, but unfortunately they both worked and were unable to give him the time and exercise he needed. I understand that before that he was a stray, picked up by a rescue in Wales.

We bought him home plus the crate that he was accustomed to living in, and OMG it was like a Tazmanain Devil, he ran here, there, on the table, on the beds, on the kitchen sides!! He had no manners at all! Everything was soo exciting.

We started immediately on his basic training, but the one thing that stood out with casca right from the start was his love of life, that tail has never stopped wagging, even if he is being scolded for stealing he will drop his head in shame, but that tail still wags.

We had only had him 3 weeks and my daughter, Hayley, and I had taken Casca and Tula for a walk in the woodland at the back of our house. It was the first time we let him off the lead. Cas was racing around, like he had never been off lead before, having the time of his life, when we heard a scream. It sounded like a child. We called the dogs in. Casca came, but very slowly, his head hanging low, but that tail still wagging."Just stand still" I told Hayley, we mustn't go to him else he will think we want to chase him. As he came nearer I couldn't believe my eyes, sticking out of chest between his front legs was a lump of wood, about as big as your hand. It’s funny. You know, how you just leap into action without thinking. I sent Hayley with Tula to get Phil, and then I took Cas by the scruff and the base of his tail and started dragging him through the woods as there is no access for vehicles. Our vets, luckily for me is opposite my house, Phil took over, and I ran to get the vet .I will never forget seeing Casca laying on the weighing scales, fighting for his life, the way he stared right at me and wagged his tail. He was then rushed into theatre and we were sent home.

 It was about 2 hours later when the vet called. He had removed the wood, but Casca had crashed on the table, he was given adrenalin shot to restart his heart. We were told it was 50-50 if he would survive. Unbelievably, Casca came home that night, unable to lay down, as he would stop breathing, his sides heaving, as he fought for every breath. I was petrified. I slept downstairs on the floor next to Casca for 2 weeks, when his breathing returned to normal, and he was on the road to recovery.

This was the start of something truly amazing, a relationship I cannot put into words.

Together, we walked, ran, cycled, played and learned agility. Casca as always, with his big smiley face, slobbery kisses and a tail that never stopped wagging. It was that first year that we entered a couple of shows . . . very unsuccessfully, Cas breaking his wait, taking the first few jumps and then bogging off out the ring . . . and yes . . You’ve got it; I just left there watching a wagging tail disappear!!!

Our first clear round was at an EMDAC show, the spring of 2006 Becky Layphries was judging (thankyou!) I was so happy. We won out of elementary that summer. 2007 saw us win into grade 2, grade 3 and qualifying for the Supa Dog finals. Everything was great, our agility career was starting to take off, and I had found my best friend and soul mate. We were inseparable, two living things, who thrived of each other.

It was in December that the unthinkable happened. Have you ever not had time to walk the dogs for some reason, and thought to yourself, well, it won't hurt just this once, but instead of listening to your head you've felt guilty, followed your heart? That’s what happened to us. . Big mistake.  We had been out Christmas shopping, it was starting to get dark, and the dogs hadn't been out. Phil took the dogs out the back whilst I got the kettle on. They had only been gone 10 minutes, when Phil started shouting and banging on the window."Casca is impaled" we grabbed a saw and a torch and I shouted at my elder daughter to get the vet out now. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. Casca had run onto a branch of a fallen tree, it had entered him at the chest, between his front legs and exited at the bottom of his rib cage and it was huge. In the time he was there alone his body had turned, and he was hanging, with his 4 legs in the air. His eyes were literally bulging from his head, and he wagged his tail when he saw me. I honestly thought, this is it, nothing could survive this. I cuddled him and soothed him and tried to take the weight of the branch off of him as Phil sawed through the branch. Casca screamed with every stroke. By this time, it was pitch black, Casca was in severe shock; we struggled to find our way back through the woods, Phil struggling to carry a 26kg dog, and me trying to take the weight of the branch.

It felt like the world had stopped, when we finally got to our house and there was no vet, we now had Casca in a wheelbarrow covered with quilts and no vet!!!

At this point I lost it, we had done all we could, Casca was barely alive. I was told I had to get him to a vets in Farnham. which was a 20 minute drive away. I cannot tell you the relief to hand over this dying dog. Casca was in such severe shock I was allowed to stay in the operating room to comfort him, and once he was more stable I was sent home whilst they operated. Astonishingly, the tree had missed all organs, ripping through muscle and skimming along his rib cage. The vets for a second time called Casca a miracle, and I took him home 3 days later. I was elated and as for Casca that tail was back in form!!

 I have trouble recalling that following month, as I honestly believed my tough dog had been a miracle just too many times. Something wasn't quite right, Cas seemed happy enough, but his wounds weren't healing well. They were massive and 4 drains were in place. My vet took swabs (thankyou) as one wound looked a little wet. then over the next few weeks, the drains fell out, the wounds opened up. Casca was back and forth to the vets, more operations to be stitched back up. Then the worst thing happened, Casca's eyes went dull, his tail stopped wagging altogether. It was Christmas day. I am not a Christian, but I prayed for Casca's life.

The lab results eventually arrived. As predicted, Casca had M.R.S.A. Once on the correct antibiotics, Casca wounds had healed and was on lead walks in 2 weeks!!

 We were out competing by the April 2008, we won the Large Grade 2 SUPADARL finals, and the invitation jumping, we were in the D.I.N.A finals and we qualified for the ABC semis. 2009 saw us come 2nd in the large grade 3 SUPADARL finals, qualifying again for the ABC semis, going from grade 3 to 5, and finishing 9th in the K.C international festival novice finals.

You may have seen us, after a run, it doesn't even have to be clear, but sometimes, we come out of the ring and I just burst into tears and Cas jumps all over me with big beardie kisses. I just love him so much, and he loves life, I am in total awe of this amazing dog.

 Casca has had minor injuries (thank god!) ripped pads, broken claws and torn muscles. He has just had 3 months off with suspected torn crutiate. He is just the most clumsiest, accident prone dog I have ever met . . . but he is also the happiest, and I cannot imagine my life without my mad, slobbery, hairy beardie, he is truly the love of my life!

Nicky