I have always loved dogs. They are never grumpy and always pleased to see you. Cats don’t do the same for me, but I know that for many people they fulfil that same role. Of course there are some people who live in the countryside who feel the same about horses. Companion animals. The wonderful soft living creature to touch and cuddle and feel responsible for.

I asked my son to write a piece about the joy of having a dog, as I know that Milly is like a therapy dog to Will. That makes it sound as if he has a problem….far from it. Actually we all ‘have a problem’ when it comes to needing love and companionship. We are human! So although this is not quite the angle I had intended for this article, I love it, and it makes a strong point. These are, for many of us, among the most difficult times we’ve lived through. Self-isolation, while being a necessity to combat the COVID-19 virus, magnifies the fear we are all feeling. A dog or a cat means you are never alone.

‘In the mornings I would wake to find my bed empty. A familiar feeling by that time. It had been two years since Lily had passed away and she would normally have snuffled her way to my face to wake me. But this wasn’t normal. Not anymore. Missing a dog, provided you let your dog into your bedroom, is a lot like missing a cherished partner. A mutual, loving relationship. One that didn’t require hard work or argument. Simply a symmetrical reciprocal arrangement of love given and love received.

A dog doesn’t question your mood, your behaviour, your diet, nor your hair. They simply want attention and companionship. When I awoke those mornings to find my bed empty, that’s precisely what I craved. Attention and companionship. A dog isn’t just a pet. They work for us. They save humans in peril, fight in our wars. They lead the blind and monitor our airports. We have created the most faithful friends, and the most loyal companions. Embrace them, and they’ll continue to do the same.

Having a dog or a cat to love and to stroke must be a life-saver at this time of isolation.

I was recently presented with a puppy. I named her Milly. She has made me feel useful, reliable, confident, supported. I could go on. Milly is a puppy for the foreseeable future, despite her first birthday having fallen just last Sunday. She continues to display a mischief and naivety; an excitable wonder-struck little girl, who follows shadows and chases birds. It’s a cruel, cruel world – she mutters under her breath as they take flight. Milly has made me an expert in cleaning beds, in cleaning carpets, in fact I’m an expert cleaner of any upholstery you could name. She’s taught me how to feed the lady of the house before myself. I’ve learned how to get stains out of marble, and dog hair out of the dryer. She’s my personal tutor.

We have created the most faithful friends, and the most loyal companions. Embrace them, and they’ll continue to do the same.

If there’s a form of exercise Milly can’t undertake, I haven’t found it yet. She does her stretches in the morning. She jumps invisible hurdles as she runs across an open field. She’s swum across the Thames (and back again) and she just can’t resist the temptation to be included in any game that involves a ball, though perhaps her ‘team ethic’ is somewhat lacking. Children and their parents simply love chasing her down to recover their ball so that their simple game of catch transforms in to a game of British bulldog.

To this day, Milly hasn’t upset me, patronised me, or even contradicted me.

To this day, Milly hasn’t upset me, patronised me, or even contradicted me. She has improved me, and in ways that can’t be written or read. Having a partner makes me a better person. It makes me want to show her off; take her to nice restaurants and receive compliments. There is one teeny, tiny issue that keeps me up at nights, and it concerns Milly as much as it concerns me. It’s something that gets between us, pulls us apart, slows us down. Something’s got to give. Wait there….. I’m just going to have a quick word with my girlfriend’.

So if that’s the view of a 27 year old how much more will it be true of a 75 year old; maybe or maybe not the girlfriend, but the joy and purpose that an animal brings. People will be worrying about not looking after their animals well at this time so do help them if you can.

If we can help you (unfortunately not to walk the dog) at Dr Morton’s you only have to call.