Jess

It was with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to Jess (Sweetie Jessica). She had suffered from Spondulosis (spinal arthritis) for many years, and this had got progressively worse with her having good and bad days. However in March 2008 she went down hill rapidly, frequently falling over, and being unable to control her bodily functions. We consciously took the decision not to let her suffer, gave her a kiss and a cuddle, and said goodbye.

Whilst both Clare and I had been brought up with dogs, Jess was our first dog, and it was my father that was the person behind us getting her. Our son Iain (aged 6 at the time) liked playing with my parents dog Monty, and it was dad that suggested to me it would be good for Iain and us to get a dog of our own.

The problem was - How to a break this news to Clare and get her to agree? I chose the moment carefully. I had been in Hinchingbrook Hospital near Huntingdon for an operation to stop me snoring, and I told Clare as she drove me home from hospital.

She thought I was still under the anaesthetic, and that I was joking, so to find out for certain, she drove to the Wood Green Animal Shelter, but by the time we got there it was closed. So we went back the next day and ended up bringing Jess (then aged about 2) home with us. Wood Green had taken her in as a stray, and had called her “Sweetie”. I was definitely not going to be calling “come on Sweetie” across any field, so with Iain’s help we renamed her. I was lucky in that I was able to take her to work with me most days, and also did some basic obedience work with her, but I wanted to train her to do Agility. I had seen Agility on the television and it looked like the dogs really enjoyed it. Jess seemed keen to work and play. So we started Agility Training with Alan & Shirley Bell in Impington, just north of Cambridge. However, it was not long before we heard about Aslan Agility, a Club starting up in Thaxted, run by someone called Mary Ann Nester.

Jess had already mastered all the equipment, and we soon started competing. She soon earned the nickname “Mrs Clear Round”, as whilst she was not particularly fast round the course, she was always very accurate, and on difficult courses we would often beat far more experienced handlers with a much higher grade of dog. It was Mary Ann that starting winding Clare up that she should get a dog too, so that she could come to competitions with me. Mary Ann kept on at Clare, getting more serious every week, until she said to Clare “I know someone whose dog is having puppies and have told her you are interested”, and so Clare got her dog “Zac”. Jess’s behaviour changed when we got Zac, as she became his surrogate mother and sister all rolled into one. She would play with him and tell him off - it brought her a whole new lease of life.

Little did Clare or I realise just how much that decision all those years ago to get a pet dog would change our lives and that of so many others so dramatically. From one dog to six. From a small tent to a 4 x 4 and a massive caravan. From weekends at home relaxing, to every weekend either away competing and / or teaching. There is only one thing that hasn’t changed - I still snore - The operation only worked for about 15 months!

Jess - you have a lot to answer for - a candle will always burn at our house in your memory.
I am sure my dad will be playing ball with you in the great field in the sky.