ZiggysMum

Thank you all so much, you've been so kind. xxxx

Things are not looking good for my missing boy Ziggy. Please if you can, light a candle and think of him this evening. He has a huge piece of my heart and always will. As we reach the winter solstice I send him strength, comfort and love. My lovely lurcher boy - Loving words upon my lips Light-giving song in my heart Life-bringing praises upon you. The music of comfort resound in your soul Preserve you in peace, run swift and free full of joy As the sun and moon renew themselves this night. With my thanks, and my heart, always.

So sorry for you, thinking of you all. Be happy chasing bunnies, Buddy

Good to hear she's doing ok, and hopefully will have a long happy time with you yet. PICTURES, woman!!! xxx

Thanks folks, am getting more than a bit worried on account of the ffffffffffreeeeezing weather, and lack of anything conclusive. Meanwhile my foster dog girlie is stopping Louie from getting too depressed - but I WANT MY ZIGSTER BACK!!

Silly bitch. Hope she gets piles so she HAS a pain in the ass as well as being one. Harry is absoluely lovely, and that woman is WELL outnumbered. Can you by any chance train him to lift his leg on command...? Edited because it won't let me say c o c k his leg!! :laughingsmiley:

Me, i'm Woefulscrooge Snottypoop

A year today (the 1st) since I brought my boy home from the kennels AND I ACHE INSIDE. Miss you Zigster, come home...

Thank you everyone, you've given me some helpful ideas and some sense of proportion, as alway it helps talking to you.

I can't afford Christmas, I love my daughter but it's presents from me, presents from santa, no slack in the credit card andI hate the pressure to buy buy buy and have a perfect 'Delia Christmas' with all the everythings.. and New Year is not much fun to those of us single 40 somethings. So I vote for just skipping the whole damn thing and getting to the bit where I can heave a sigh of relief til next, ooh, say September when the shops start playing Slade again. Bah humbug indeed.

So sorry Melp, she sounds like that special animal that is never replaced and never forgotten. She'll live on always in your heart, and what a peaceful way to go, sleeping away next to those you love. Harder for you than her - you're in my thoughts.

Be at peace, pretty girl.

Thank you all - it's been cathartic to write Baz's story down, I miss her every day but it's not a comfortable burden to carry. Your lovely words help. xxx

Hi, here's a thought for you - when Louie broke his leg very badly, and suffered physically and mentally, a kind vet recommended I contact Freemans Homeopathic Pharmacy in Glasgow. They have a website - www.freemans.uk.com or 0845 225 5155. I spoke to their Chief Pharmacist (very kind and helpful man) and he made up some tablets of arnica and hypericum - lactose based so they just dissolve on the tongue. It cost around a tenner - I got some Rescue Remedy in spray form too which is great for dogs. Would highly recommend talking to them, they'll come up with what's exactly right for her. I rang them at 3pm one day, the tablets arrived following morning - amazing service, and I'm certain they helped Louie's bruising heal and his shattered nerves too! Good luck to you both xxx

Hi Owl, hope you're well. Just really want a sign that he's still out there. Apparently my horoscope for November said I'd make lots of new contacts this month. Twas not wrong! No more from Spennymoor but Sue Short at GALA is giving me some useful contacts within the working dog world.

What a lovely gift you gave Mary Anne - warmth and love and peace, and as she relaxed and let go the fight, because of you, she could do so feeling safe. You're in our thoughts.

They're fantastic - what I'd give to be able to take photos like that!

Well, the search effort continues. Ziggy's been in the Northern Echo again. Might have a go at getting him on the local TV news progs - I really want to keep him in people's minds. Nothing doing at all, sighting-wise, until tonight - possible sighting in St Andrews Lane, Spennymoor. I’ll go over tomorrow morning to search and poster-stick. Anyone with any contacts in that area, would you mind mentioning this to them please? Am posting daily on doglost.co.uk - seems a good central reference point. On Monday, I'm taking my other lurcher Louie to have his ear tattooed. £20 well spent, I reckon. Thanks everyone for your continued kindness, will keep you updated. xx

Hi, I'm Vikki, aged 4...4...4 (I can do it, just give me a minute to brace myself) 40. Live in County Durham with my daughter and Ziggy 8 to 10 ish Big brindle lurcher boy, currently missing Louie 2 to 3 ish Newbie lurcher boy, recovering from a very broken leg Jaws 5 ish Huge killer goldfish, has been the death of anything else we've put in with her. I also have a doggy cousin, Rocky, a one year old labradoodle, and still massively miss Baz, my collie, who was pts this August. This is a whole new world to me - kind of totally focussed on finding poor Ziggy but hope to get out round the forums a bit more WHEN he is home. Nice to meet you all! Vikki

You will both be in my thoughts tomorrow, good luck and god bless

Kayleigh May 1985 to July 1999 Baz Early 1998 to 4th August 2007 My special collie girls, always in my heart, at peace til I join you.

This is going to be hard. Please forgive the grimness of my tale but it is something I need to write. Baz came into my life in late December 1998, by accident - she had been taken to the vets to be put to sleep as the family were getting a new pup. Baz was only around 7 months old. My old collie, Kayleigh, was not impressed... but Baz brought her a new lease of life in her 14th and final year. Kayleigh I miss you too, still - you were the dog of a lifetime - but I know you had a lovely life. Baz was a funny mix of sweet intelligence, humour and affection - and fear aggression, which I managed with the help of training and always being aware of any risk in the situations she had to deal with. She was wonderful with everyone she knew, but wanted others to just leave her alone. She played with my daughter from her being a baby onwards - gentle but hilarious as they towed each other about, Baz humouring a tiny bossy handler with great generosity. She played fetch as only a ball-obsessed collie can, she loved to swim, we walked the Lake District, went camping, we had fun. She curled up with me when I was feeling down... and through my divorce, I never really felt alone. As Baz got older, she grew more nervous - sight and hearing fine, she always had arthritis and that was under control. But she became scared of bangs, of shouts, of anything she didn't understand and I worked hard to manage this and give her a good life. In July this year, she was knocked over by my other dog whilst in gleeful mid-chase, and injured her tail - the injury was base of her spine and too high for docking. This pain, though medicated, didn't help her frame of mind. On the 3rd of August this year, while out for a lunchtime walk with my friend, and totally against character, Baz turned tail and ran back home. She couldn't get in, I was at work. As my friend sprinted back to her, she was cornered at my back door by one of my neighbours' young girl, who I gather patted her bum. My poor, lovely scared Baz nipped her on the cheek - no skin broken, just a 'please go away' message from a hurting dog. By the time I found this out through a phonecall at work, the police had been called by the girl's mum. Long story short - I had to have my clever, mixed up girl put to sleep. It was the worst thing I've ever had to do. The lovely lady vet allowed me to sedate her myself before we went in, before she had chance to get scared. Baz was happy, she fell asleep eating her favourite cheddar from my hand as she sat cradled in my lap. Her heart took so long to stop. I held it together while she went, wanting to reassure her all was well. After she'd gone, I completely broke down. I carried her out in my arms, in floods of tears, wracked with guilt and pain at the horror of what I'd had to do. I had to explain to my 8 year old daughter where her beloved Bazzy had gone. I said she'd been ill - some truths are too much. When I went, a week later to collect her ashes and her bed from the pet crem, I found that Baz had had a huge postmortem haemmorage from her bowel. I can't descibe the horror, the amount of blood, or the smell of her rotting bed. I threw up til I couldn't any more. The vet says that for this to happen, my Baz must have been very ill in any case - with no symptoms so far. Maybe that's why she ran for home. If I rationalise it, the awful thing that happened spared her an undignified painful death. But the guilt is crippling - I should have protected her better, I should have been there. Let this stand as sad tribute to my Baz - a funny, clever, sweet smelling, kind and scared little cross-breed collie who spent her life giving so much to her family but could never shake off the horrors of her puppyhood. Baz, I'm so so sorry - please forgive me for the awful thing I had to do, I hope you didn't feel betrayed. Be at peace my sweetheart, noone can hurt you any more. We love you and we'll never forget you.

Please keep Ziggy in mind - any help publicising him and keeping his profile up is much appreciated.

You know, he was gone before he reached that ground, and you through your compassion and selflessness had allowed him to keep his nobility and dignity. It's the last gift you could give him after a lifetime of love. You should be proud that you did that for him. He's at peace and he'll always be in your hearts.

Thanks for the suggestions - all done and more, but still appreciated in case I miss anything obvious! He's been in 3 local papers now - local radio don't want to know, unfortunately. x Well, I finally have news, but not a sighting. I got a call from a family living in Langley Park today, sure that my Ziggy is their dog, he was called Cruz. Timings and locations fit and he described Ziggy’s looks and behaviour accurately. Seems very plausible. Long story how he ended up being lost, but it all fits. The trouble is, if Ziggy has headed to his original area, there are a lot of young lads keeping working lurchers who wouldn’t give him up – perhaps not even for the reward as he’s locally known as a good taker of foxes. I’ve been told not to risk going down the allotments alone. The guy that originally owned him claims not to want him back (working enough already) and will do some poking around. All very tenuous but I’ve no choice but to go with it – there have been at least three calls from that area. My mate the police dog handler is up for taking him back if he shows up but first, we need a dog! Meanwhile the Belmont sightings continue but are most likely a white and brindle lurcher that’s lived feral (and untrappable despite some hard work) in that area since the summer. Cross everything for me!