This week we celebrate the anniversary of our Back to La Tierra project. It is 2 years ago that we received our first guests. On this second photo of this week's BEFORE & AFTER series, you can see our dog Beno in the shelter where we found him and below, in our garden with our cat Pipo.
When I saw Beno in the Triple A animal shelter in the autumn of 2018 there was an immediate connection. He looked so centered and wise amidst the nervous energy of a pack of dogs all trying to get attention from a potential new human companion. He just sat there looking at us, apparently unmoved by the excitement but observing it all from a distance. ‘What about that black one sitting there?’ I said to Paul & Seb. ‘You mean the scruffy one??!’ They looked puzzled. We asked to meet him up close and just as we were getting used to the idea of getting another dog in our lives we were told he was on the list to go abroad. ‘Nooo you can’t take our dog abroad!!’
We had to wait for over an hour until the paperwork was undone for his emigration, all this time thinking how weird it is that a few hours earlier we had no idea this would feel so serious. ‘You can take him home’ they said ‘on a trial period of 2 weeks.’ We looked into his sweet brown eyes and said, 'Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. He’s coming to stay.'
Beno is our sunshine every day. He is the best imaginable companion to the cats and chickens, friends with all our guests and volunteers and defender of our land from the wild boar.
Such a blessing, our Bennie!
Comments