My Activity Tracking
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My target 1000 mi
Life Before , during and after losing my boy .
When I became a civilian my life was a mess . Additions and chaos . My case of C.P.T.S.D is particularly acute.Ine day I was put in a position to rescue a dog from a terrible owner who was beating his dog to death after starvation and left in a cage the whole winter .
Things got out of hand and I got stabbed . I am.not advocating violence. Not one bit . But as an Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders I could not stand aside . They got hurt worse than I they stabbed me and scraped my liver . I had no weapon but kept going . The dog who became my Sargent Horatio Plank 2nd knew instinctively why I was there . And directing withba nod of my head he follod me . Was 3 of them against us. He couldn't walk properly because the cage was to small , starvation and injury . It didn't stop him finding courage strength and honor .They continued the attach on both of us with weapons fists and feet . All he could do was stay behind me .
We got out and later once I got him very close to somebody saw me and phoned the ambulance.
Police came first took my dog miles away and then took me.to hospital. All three of the former owners of the dogs were in the same emergency department as me .
It kick of again . Not I and when things calmed down I had to talk . I admitted what I did about the dog and why . When they asked about my stab wounds and lump from a hammer I asked them to talk to the other 3 . Who were injured more than I . I am not going to pretend otherwise and say I acted like Gandhi here. To the contrary. I fought for that poor wee lad .
C.P.T.S.D or not once an Argyll always an Argyll . And my empathy , not completely seems to have shifted from humans of a certain ilk to animals. Said humans alway understand why thing happen to them but a poor wee pup who only know abuse cannot comprehend.
Anyhoo after an investigation of the police . Which I must add they got to the bottom of it . Technically I did steal him ..As I joked to the police it was a QRF search and rescue operation and they laughed I knew everything was ok . They sent me to Croydon police station to pick him up from a cell they had him in .
Donated an old police collar lead and harness . Boots because his feet had been in his own faeces for 8 month of a 13 month old.pup .they were so rotten. The worst case of dog. Trench paw in history . And built like a whippet to weak to lift his heavy head . Or stand properly. The chief inspector of streatham station Gave us a lift home which was 4 doors from streatham station on shrubbery road .
And continued to visit until he left . Great man.
After all that ..This near death dog needed a name. So after Colonel Horatio Plank . A crazy American real deal Audy Murphy type I kept the name but demoted him 2 Sargent Horatio Plank the 2nd . Sarge for short Plank when he didn't pay attention and like our mums the whole name when naughty.
It didn't take long for him to bounce back and see waht kind of dog he was . The white and brindle gave us an Idea but then with a couple of spots and the body type and a vet we discovered he was a fox hound staffie cross ..
The energy he had meant he needed more exercise than most dogs and that suited me just fine. We travelled a lot in my converted signals/command vehicle long wheel base hard top land rover . 24/7 we were together unless I was at my boxing club . That boy had saved o a few levels .
Getting me of drugs made easier because I had somebody else to look after. I I could not keep myself right how could I fix him . After all the love and effort to heal him we bonded very quickly and very firmly. Hardest thing was for himntonfitt in with other dogs. He was so happy to see one and play cause he never had that the other dogs mistook his enthusiasm for aggression and got a fright when this big happy go lucky dog came running up to play. Ergo the iggerband angrybdogs attacked him. That took 3 years to fix
He was about a year when I got him and lived another 12 years and lost him to cancer at the start of covid to cancer . He oit lasted the vets time.lone by a year . Pure spirit kept him up and happy and able to fight the cancer.
It broke me when he passed and swore never again .
Well I recently lost my partner and a lot of friends and family.
I am a licenced boxing coach for my club the ABA and Boxing England.
Through injury and a recent diagnosis of osteoporosis I cannot do this now .
The P.S.T.D 8s kicking in again. Being alone now I know I need another service/companion dog . And a dog that has had a bad life whether in is abuse , neglect or broken from kennel life needs me . Someone who will have it out walking the mountains andgreatvforests of Europe . I have a huge garden in clapham. A former peace garden larger that 2 football pitches .
However I am moving back to the Orkney island to one of the smaller isles and the dog will have the freedom of the whole Islands.
That's this life I gave and the one I will.make for a dog and I again.
What I would like people to take from this is that I am not alone . I started to help fellow vets when I volunteered for the Veterans Boxing charity called " The Fighting Chance " .( look em up and say Stacey sent you). They're very good .
I discovered in this time how many of us( thousands) need the same things whether we acknowledge it or not ..And I discovered this for civis also , but the NHS very reluctant to give out the paper work for them also .
To conclude it is time I got another dog to save me from.thè downward spiral I am on now . Also it really works . Almost magic.
The message is from.my heart but speaking for all people like me .
I'm taking part in the Combat Stress Waggy Trails Challenge!
This year I'll be taking on Waggy Trails to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.
Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health. For over a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.
I’m taking vital steps towards ensuring veterans can get the support they need.
Thank you so much for your support.
