July/August 2010 - Dogs Naturally Magazine

when, for the first time – after weeks of
gentle reassurance and gradual incremental
improvements - Rob was able
to sit down next to Georgie and brush
him and stroke him. Rob and I had
tears running down our cheeks, watching
this little man enjoying being
touched in what must have been the
first time in years.
Georgie, a tiny little fellow, was vaccinated
annually until he was five, before
he came to us. At the same time he was
wormed and given a topical flea treatment.
The shots he received were the
exact same dose as might be given to a
Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Vaccines can
cause brain damage, and they can
cause epilepsy, and studies indicate
that little dogs fare the worse than big
dogs from unnecessary shots. And his
owners thought they were doing the
right thing for him.
We treated Georgie for vaccine damage.
He had the canine combination
nosode and a variety of homoeopathic
remedies for epilepsy. He was changed
to the raw diet, and fish oils (which
improve brain function) were given
daily.
So when the new puppies arrived just a
few weeks ago, we saw with relief that
our worries were unfounded. Georgie
loves the pups and wants to be with
them, so long as they refrain from
jumping on him. Every morning, now
Edward is gone, Georgie goes downstairs
to where the puppies sleep until
they’re housetrained, and checks that
they’re OK. Wherever they are, he
wants to be with them. When he first
came to us, he was a frightened little
man, but because we were aware of the
effects of unnecessary vaccines, we
were able to treat him appropriately
and help him back.
Edward, before he left, had a few
weeks to teach the puppies Freddie
and Ruby how to behave with other
dogs. He taught them about boundaries.
He waited until Rob and I were
set up again with puppies to love, and
then he succumbed to the grief that
had caused his broken heart, and went
off to be with Gwinnie and Dannie
again.
Edward was thirteen years old, too
young to die. He had never been vaccinated,
he ate raw food, and he was
never subjected to conventional drugs.
Until a year ago, he was the healthiest
of dogs. He was never ill. Never.
It seems to me that we mortal humans
can do everything right. We can give
our dogs the very best food and protect
them from the very worst pharmaceuticals
and chemicals. But we are not
God, and our dogs have their own
agendas. They, like us, come to this
earth with missions to accomplish, and
when the mission is completed, they, of
their own choice, decide when to depart.
I have a feeling that Edward has
just gone for a little while. He’s departed
briefly so he can come back in a
new body. I hope so, anyway.
Unless you’ve had a relationship with a
dog, you can be forgiven for thinking
that they’re just hairy things with
waggy tails. They jump around and
bark a lot – but they’re just animals,
you might think, and they leave muddy
footprints on the carpet and hairs on
the sofa.
Yet many of the most poignant and tender
moments in my life, the most
meaningful and spiritual moments,
have been with dogs. If you doubt this,
wait until you hold your friend’s paw
as they die, and they thank you.
There is a deep wisdom in the animal
kingdom that you can tune into if you
have the humility to listen. If you
think they’re just animals who ought
to follow our commands, think again.
If you listen to a dog, they can tell you
how to grow and evolve as a human
being.
Our dogs are concerned with our
physical wellbeing, our emotional
wellbeing, and our spiritual wellbeing.
They can teach us how to love oneanother,
respect one-another, and
cherish one-another. They can teach
us about boundaries. They can teach
us how to have fun. They can teach us
that human beings are not superior to
them; just different. They give us humility,
and they can fill our
hearts with gratitude and joy.
They can also break our hearts when
they leave – but I think they know that,
if we can find a way to heal our broken
hearts, love will become a conscious
act rather than an indulgent feeling.
They can set our feet upon the healer’s
path, which is born of sorrow and the
search for truth and life.
Catherine O’Driscoll has been running
Canine Health Concern since 1994. In
June this year, she spearheaded a campaign
to forcefully persuade the British
government to put an end to the normal
practice of annually vaccinating dogs in
the UK. To support this campaign, she
has written a 369-page response to the
UK’s licensing body, the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate. This report is available
free by logging onto
www.petvaccine.weebly.com. It contains
the science to explain why vaccines cause
so many diverse adverse effects in our
dogs, and also explains why governments
around the world will not legislate to halt
unnecessary vaccination. Catherine also
asks her fellow dog lovers to write to the
British government to lend their voices to
the campaign. Contacts and template
letters for you to send are also carried on
the site.
Dogs...Naturally! July/August 2010
Catherine and Edward