Dear Dearg -The husky that stole a fortnight off me

Orsin, now called Dearg.....

So two weeks ago I took Friday off work. Woke up early with a filthy cold and trotted downstairs for a Lemsip. While I was waiting for the kettle to boil I checked Facebook......and there was my little red nemesis. You see, when I got Sheba from Dunboyne Pound I offered the local rescue, A Dog's Life, foster space for a husky should they need it. Huskies are a little.....um.....specialist (for which read demented) and husky fosterers are apparently like gold dust (I didn't know this when I offered!).

So I saw Martina's call for a foster for little Orsin. You see huskies regularly in Dunboyne Pound - they have non-existent recall but people persist in letting them off lead. Orsin was still wearing his little red halter when he was found, so you would think he'd quickly be reclaimed. Not so.......his five days were up and Irish Sled Dogs Rescue weren't able to take him till December the 3rd. Orsin needed sprung from the pound as technically he could be put down at any time.

I studied the post. There were several people offering to foster him. I'm a hundred miles up the road from the pound so I knew they'd only ask me in extremis. I spoke to my husband, who immediately said "yeah, tell them we'll take him if they are stuck."

Well of course the offer was accepted on the spot and next thing we knew we were signed up to looking after an unneutered red husky of allegedly friendly disposition and very good in cars. That's about all we knew. We arranged to meet his transporter in Newry at lunchtime on Saturday. Friday night we went out for a Chinese, figuring that would be the last time we got across the door for anything not related to dogs for the next two weeks.........how right we were.