My story….

Some of my friends from Twitter already know this, but I wanted to share it with everyone – I was born on a puppy farm in Essex.

I’ll start at the very beginning (a very good place to start). In January 2014 my Human Beans decided they wanted to get a companion for Kizzy, who was then 13, as they thought it would rejuvenate her and that she would help to train the pup by sharing her wisdom. They wanted ‘a portable model’ which would be suitable as they get (even) older, so decided on a small crossbreed. They were also keen to have a puppy, rather than an older rescue dog (as Kizzy had been), as they felt, being both 70+, that  it was their last chance to be puppy parents. Unfortunately there is no reputable breeder network for crossbreeds, so it is difficult to know where to start….when it comes down to it, unless you happen to know someone who has puppies available, it relies on careful searching on the internet.

They did, they thought, all the right things. They Googled the phone number given to make sure it didn’t crop up multiple times. They didn’t say which ad they were referring to but just to “your ad on………” (if he’d admitted to having more than one ad, they would have run a mile). They even copied chunks of the ad’s text & Googled it to see if the ad was ‘copy & paste’. They asked if they could see the Mum and were told they could.  It all seemed fine. What they now know, however, is that these people use cheap or free SIM cards so they can keep changing phone numbers, and that the ‘Mum’ you see isn’t necessarily related to the puppies you’re looking at.

They went to a house on the East London/Essex border and were shown me, my Brother & Sister and ‘Mum’, and we all looked clean & well cared for. We were in a playpen in what appeared to be a family living room – the TV was on and there were two small children there. My Beans were at first interested in my tri-colour Sister, but I fixed them with ‘the look’ and got their attention.  They collected me a couple of days later.

When they looked at my vaccination certificate, they noticed that I had been vaccinated at a vet about 15-20 miles from where I was bought and much nearer my present home, which seemed odd. However, this week we met another Cavachon with his Humans and got talking & comparing notes, as you do, only to find that he was born in November 2013 like me, but bought from a pet shop half a mile from that same vets…….almost certainly my Brother! We have the theory that the puppies were vaccinated there as it was conveniently on the pet shop delivery run. The pet shop in question seems to have a regular supply of Cavachons, Cockerpoos, Puggles etc…..the plot thickens!

I’m delighted to say that the people who ran this evil puppy farm business were caught by the Police a year or two back, and my Beans shared all the information they had to help with the prosecution. That makes them feel a little better about the whole thing as they feel awful and embarrassed that, despite being so careful, they still got caught out.

Of course, this whole thing has turned out brilliantly for me. I now have a loving home and a Mum & Dad who are putty in my paws. Luckily, I was fairly healthy but my Beans always wonder if some of my fears and foibles are related to my bad start in life. We shall never know, and they tell me that they have absolutely NO regrets as they ended up with the cutest, most wonderful, well behaved……oh, apparently I’m not allowed to put that last bit. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all.

Thoughts on being an Essex Girl

Ok, so I’m an Essex girl, but Essex isn’t all white stilettos, drunken brawls and concrete jungles, you know. In fact, thanks to all its estuaries and creeks, it has the longest coastline in England and a very high percentage of the County is farmland. All this, of course, means it is excellent dog walking territory.

I try to take my Human Beans for a walk most afternoons, sometimes just on our many local footpaths, and sometimes further afield. A lot of our favourite walks are near water – we have the lovely Lee Valley Park practically on our doorstep and tend to spend a lot of time there. Much of it is worked-out gravel pits which now give a home to a huge variety of plants, birds & animals. Best of all, it has otters and mink who often leave the remains of their lunch around to provide a tasty snack for a passing pup. Have you ever tried Crayfish claws? They’re nommy and it’s great fun watching the Beans squirm as they try to take them away. Lee Valley covers 26 miles from East London up into Hertfordshire and is well worth a visit if you’re ever in the area. More info here

Sometimes we head east to one of our lovely little Essex riverside towns like Maldon, Burnham-on Crouch or Brightlingsea.  Essex has a rich maritime heritage which continues with the presence of some of the last remaining Thames Barges, enjoying a happy & busy retirement at Maldon

As well as the busier parts of the riverside,  there are miles of sea defences to explore, all with glorious views over the Blackwater estuary.  If you can persuade your Human Beans to let you off the lead, there is the opportunity to get coated in river silt, which provides endless entertainment when it comes to getting back in the car. Even better if they have to lift you up – cue lots of industrial language and funny faces. If you’re lucky, they’ll keep up the performance all the way home.

One of the other jewels in the Essex crown is Burnham-on-Crouch. Once a busy port and centre for Oyster fishing, it is now the home of no less than three sailing clubs, including the Royal Corinthian with its 1930’s Grade 2 listed clubhouse. Again, once out of the town, the sea wall provides miles of walking.  You would think that Human Beans, with their strange fascination with feathered things, would enjoy watching the birds, but instead they put these funny black tubes in front of their eyes.  What odd creatures they are!

I hope I’ve given you just a small a taster of what Essex has to offer.  You can be sure there will be lots more pictures to come