After the three-and-a-half-hour drive, we were home.
We sat on the sofa and looked at each other as if to say: “Now what?”
So began my 18-year journey with Stanley, the Lancashire Heeler.
As with so many of our pets, Stanley was an enormous part of my life. Naturally, we had some anxious and frustrating times but, most of all, we shared adventures filled with fun and love.
Looking back, it was all quite daunting at the beginning. As a family we had dogs, but Stanley was my dog – my full responsibility. He taught me a lot about ‘just in case’ situations that, as pet owners, many of us will face.
Let’s look at some key moments in a pet’s life that can be better navigated when you Plan with Justin Case…
Before they arrive, do you know where they are going to sleep? Do you have bedding, cages and a suitable area? If you are getting a cat, they will probably need a room which can be closed off so they can get acclimatised in a safe space. (One of my friends told the story of when they brought their first cat back home, they excitedly let him out of his travel cage and he promptly peed on the sofa!)
Do you know what they are going to eat? Do you have water and food bowls? Stanley had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which required a careful diet. I only discovered this after a fortnight of having to walk round the village at 3am! I was exhausted, he was delighted!
Have you called a local vet to book them in for an initial health check/visit to get them chipped or jabbed? Often vets can give you lots of good advice as to how to introduce a new pet into your home and how to recognise if your pet is sick, as well as what to do in an emergency. (Luckily for another friend, she knew that chocolate was very poisonous to dogs, so when her dog munched down a bagful of brownies that had inadvertently been left on the floor from a cookery class, he was down the vets within a blink of an eye.)
Have you checked out an insurance package? Third-party coverage can be very helpful. For example, Stanley did his cruciate ligament, which was covered, but his teeth were not. Towards the end of his life, there was a balance as he was on quite a lot of prescription drugs, so the last couple of years I removed the vet care element. Yes, it was expensive but that is also something we need to be prepared for and to think about before getting a pet.
Have you got things like a couple of toys, poo bags, litter trays, collars and leads? Stanley’s favourite toy was ‘Squeak’, who I used to hide around the house for him to find.
Have you looked into local training classes? Because Stanley was a rescue, and we weren’t sure what he might find difficult, the training course I went to within the first 10 days was completely invaluable. It gave us a starting point to work from – building up communication and trust. Training also brought some of his more challenging behaviours to the surface and helped us work through them from the get-go.
Pets have admin – including reminders for vaccinations and checkups. Stanley went with me on holidays and had his own packing list. (He took up more space in the car than I did – quite the feat when you are only 30cm tall!) I always checked out local vets close to where we were staying in case we had an emergency.
If you don’t take your pets away with you, you need to know what arrangements would work for them. If you already have a good dog walker on speed dial, they might offer boarding or housesitting services. And, on that note, think about what pets need with regards to company and exercise. Dogs are social animals; they are part of our pack. Leaving them alone for hours, or just taking them for short walks or turfing them out in the garden, often won’t suffice. If you do go to work, make friends with a couple of local dog walkers and use them. Animals find comfort and confidence in routine with people they know surrounding them. If you build up a good relationship and something goes wrong whilst you are away (such as planes being delayed or cancelled), they can normally stay put until you return.
As Stanley got older and his needs grew, I needed to create a slower lifestyle for him. When it became clear we were coming to the end of his life, I spoke to the vets about what arrangements we could make. Stanley absolutely hated vets and was very stressed whenever he went there. When the dreaded morning came, I made the phone call and arranged for a vet to come to our house. Stanley then spent a peaceful morning sleeping in the sitting room and just carried on sleeping. I was so glad I had that in place, because I couldn’t have wished for a more dignified end.
I thank Stanley for all that he taught me, and I know I will be much better prepared for my next dog, so we can both stay one step ahead of the unexpected.
What ‘Justin Case’ scenarios have you and your pet faced? Take our Pet Plan quiz to see just how prepared you really are for challenges that may come your way.
