Chance Dray

THE NEWS WE ALL DREAD (12.2.2020)

Val had told us that Chance was off her food and was having problems with weeing but we hoped it was something that could be fixed. The mobile vet and nurse gave her a very thorough examination and, concerned with what they felt, they scanned her. Their worse fears were confirmed. Poor Chance had an enormous mass in her bladder. There was only one decision that could be made so, with her family (Val, John and Luca) around her, Chance went, peacefully, to sleep.

She had had a wonderful life since she arrived in Broadstairs and wanted for nothing. No dog could be loved more.

Safe journey to Rainbow Bridge, Chance xxxxxxx

A MESSAGE FROM VAL (13.2.2020)

She said “Sadly and with heavy hearts, on 12th February, we had to let Chance pass to Rainbow Bridge. It was just 11 days after we had celebrated her 11th birthday. Fly free with the angels, Chance. I will always love you. Funnily enough, I had been watching “Whitney, A Profile Of Her Life” and that song was the last one we heard before Chance passed.

Today, the very kind vet brought us Chance’s ashes. They are in a lovely cardboard tube with pawprints and the “you left pawprints on my heart” message. There is also room for a small photo. I may transfer the ashes into an urn that I had bought for Kerrie and never used but I haven’t made up my mind yet.

EARLY HISTORY

When she came into IRR care, Chance was about five years old and, more than likely, a Retriever/Collie Cross. Alone and unwanted, she had been taken to a Romanian Pound and, unbelievably this beautiful girl was on death row with only two hours to live when fate took a hand. Apparently, another dog was diagnosed with a virus which gave all the dogs, including Chance, a reprieve.

Having been saved, another British Charity heard about her, took on her rescue and arranged a Pet Passport for her with all that entailed. Then, before she came to the UK, Irish Retriever Rescue were, once more, asked if they could help with her fostering and to find her a forever home.

She turned out to be very eager to please, very friendly, good with young children, other dogs and even cats but her previous life meant she had no idea of how to play and the world was quite a big and scary place to her.

We thought it would be brilliant if she could find a home with an experienced, patient, loving couple who were at home most of the time and the icing on the cake would be to have a doggy friend to help her to build up her confidence.

MORE GOOD FORTUNE FOR LUCKY CHANCE (SEPTEMBER 2014)

Val remembers “Just three weeks before, we had lost our beautiful Kerrie and the place seemed so empty. The time was hard to fill and I decided to browse through the IRR website. That’s when I saw Chance’s beautiful face and I was smitten.

I contacted the adoption team and then spoke to Chance’s fosterer. John and I fitted the bill perfectly. We arranged to drive to Surrey and we fell in love with Chance straight away. It was love at first sight. The two hour journey home to Kent was a much happier one and she fitted in with us straight away”.

“We had had multiple dogs before so the next job was to find a nice friend for her. That fell into place easily too as the little face next to that of Chance on the IRR page was that of Luca Within a couple of weeks, all three of us went on the longer drive to Somerset to meet him and, after an overnight stop, it was the four of us who drove home. The rest, as they say, is history”.

UPDATE 28.11.2014

Val told us that Chance and Luca are doing fine although he is still being bossy over his possessions.

Halloween and the subsequent firework season were a bit of a nightmare so, after that, both Chance and Luca took to sleeping upstairs.

CHRISTMAS 2014

Apart from toys and yummy treats, they both had nice new coats for Christmas (Luca’s is blue and Chance’s is red) so, in case the Winter was bad, they would be well prepared to stay nice and cosy when they went to the nearby park.