A Dog Called Gemma

A dog called Gemma.

Gemma was one of three puppies born to Maisie. She didn’t know it, but she and the other puppies and their mother were housed in the small upstairs bedroom while their 'man people’ and ‘woman people’ were out at work. It was their routine to give the dogs fresh water and a few dog biscuits before they left the house.

On their return, they would freshen up the water and feed the mother. Removing excess dog poo and urine-soaked newspapers. That was the total sum of contact the animals had with their owners. It was a dreary existence for them, Maisie was happy to have the babies it was company for her. She tried her best in severe conditions, to be a good mother.

As the puppies got older and should have been weened, a dish with Weetabix and milk was put down for them. It was insufficient for three growing dogs, Gemma, the smallest of the dogs often went hungry.

When they were six weeks old, something different happened in their routine. Their people came into the room; the two bigger puppies placed in a cardboard box, Maisie had a lead put on, they went out.

Gemma was now alone in the room. She was inconsolable, frightened and lonely. She whimpered to herself. Finally, heard the people coming, this time the bowl of Weetabix to herself, but she was feeling too upset to eat. When she was alone, she started crying to herself. There was banging on the wall, and she heard the man people shout ‘cut it out, if you’re not quiet, I’ll come and give you what for’. The man people’s voice frightened her; Gemma curled herself into a ball in a corner, she was trembling. She wondered where her mother and the puppies had gone?

The days stretched into weeks, the weeks into months, months into a year. Gemma still had little contact and very little to do. When she grew taller, she could put her paws on the window sill to look outside. The first time Gemma was able to do it, feeling unnerved, there were things she had never seen before. As she grew more used to it, she saw people walking, and she realised what they were.

That was her only interest when she heard dogs barking; she leapt at the window sill, there were people with some 'thing’s' that looked like her mother.

 Day by day she waited to hear them go past, one day she was so excited to see them that, she heard herself make the same sound they did. When her people listened to her bark, they shouted at her 'cut it out', and she immediately curled up in her corner.

It was when she barked that made her people angry. One day when the man people shouted at her for barking, he hit her, hurting her. She growled at him, the rumbling noise in her throat alarmed her, he kicked out at her. To her surprise, her teeth got hold of the man people hand. She could taste something awful in her mouth, she went to her corner and curled up. The man hadn’t finished with her; he landed two kicks on her back. Then he went.

Next day only the woman people came, she didn’t bring any food, but put a collar and lead on Gemma. ‘Come on; now you’ve bitten him you can’t stop here’. She took Gemma downstairs and out of the house, putting her in the car. Which was unknown to Gemma inhaled the air, she sniffed the leather seats. Feeling fear when the vehicle started, Gemma curled herself into a tight ball and wishing the car would stop.

They finally stopped, the woman people said ‘You stay there’. She got out and moved away. Gemma could easily look out of these windows. She could hear some 'things' barking. Her woman people came back; there were another woman people, who opened the car door, getting hold of Gemma, talking to her all the time, picking her up and lifted her out of the car. It was strange; no one had ever picked Gemma up before, she was not sure if she liked it. They went into a big building; Gemma looked for her woman people, she was not there.

The woman people took Gemma into another place; she was lifted up and put on a table. A man people came, he put his hand on her back, she winced when he touched the place where the man people had kicked her. The man people pressed gently down her back. He looked into her eyes and in her ears. He did something, pressing something to her chest. He talked to the woman people ‘She’s been ill-treated, she is well enough apart from some bruising. A bath would be a good idea; she needs treating fleas and worms’.

Again the woman people took Gemma to a particular room; she was placed in somewhere, them amazingly, water splashed all over Gemma, she enjoyed it, nice smelling stuff massaged into her fur. She felt happy for the first time Gemma wriggled and wagged her tail. All the time the woman people talked to her, although it was a new experience, Gemma thought it was good. Then came another surprise for Gemma, she was rubbed dry, then warm air blew her fur dry. Feeling clean and dry felt glorious. Finally, her was hair combed. She had never felt this good before.

The woman people put her collar and lead back on. Firm hands picked her up and stood her down on the floor, ‘come on Gemma’. Unsure what to do, Gemma did not want to move. ‘Come on Gemma’ she gave the lead a little tug and moved a step away. ‘Come on Gemma’. Now that she was clean and dry, Gemma did not want to upset the woman people; she took a step forward. ‘Good girl, come on that’s it’. They walked through the building; then the woman people opened a door a put Gemma inside 'This is your kennel; there are a bed and some toys’. Gemma was so busy looking around and sniffing; she did not notice she was on her own. She investigated the bed and found it was warm and comfortable; she curled up, soon she was sleeping. Unaware this was the start of a new life.

Gemma did not know she was in the Isolation Block of  Dog Rescue Kennels, after a week, she was judged to be healthy. The lady took her to the kennels that were for dogs for adoption. Gemma was now in the company of other 'things', who barked continuously or jumped up and down, banging at the netting of their kennel. Something she had not experienced; she kept to her basket at the back of the enclosure.

Then it was strange, men people and women people came and looked at her, sometimes they had small people with them. Gemma would not come out of her basket; she looked at them with sad eyes. The kennel lady brought her some toys; Gemma could not raise any enthusiasm to play. The kennel lady decided Gemma was depressed.

Gemma became a long stay resident. One day when the other things were sleeping, a woman people came and looked at her. She sat on the floor and talked to Gemma; no one had done this before. Gemma sniffed, the woman people had a pleasant smell, she was speaking softly and put her fingers to the netting that separated them, her eyes fixed on Gemma's. Gemma crawled across the kennel on her tummy, resting her head on the woman people’s hand. Feeling this was good; Gemma relaxed a bit. Then the woman people told her that she ‘was going, but she would come back’. Gemma sat in the corner thinking about her friend when the other things woke up, and their noises began again.

It seemed a long time to Gemma, one day she heard the woman people’s voice, the kennel lady was with her. She put the collar and lead on Gemma, saying to the woman people, ‘just walk her on the path around the car park'. They walked around once, then went round again, Gemma suddenly flung herself on the path int a sign of submission, she was wriggling on her back, ears and tail joining in, making little yelps of happiness. The woman people laughed and said ‘come on Gemma, let us go to the office’. 

Gemma had to wait a long time while the women people talked. Then they all walked out to the car park, the woman people opened her car and sat Gemma in. Brought back bad memories; Gemma started crying to herself. The woman people said ‘It’s not far, we will be there soon’. Gemma was promptly sick. She was appalled at what she had done, what would the woman people think? They arrived at the house, the woman people lifted her out and said, ‘There Gemma, you are home now!’