Labrador Rescue

How lovely you look Anna and what a lovely family you have. Evil hairy one doesn't look so evil. I'm sure he's lovely really.

Anna, I love all your pictures, your mum did a good job with them. I have to say my very first dog was just like your Evil Hairy one and I have to say he was the most OBEDIENT dog I have ever had. Megan is coming in a close 2nd.

Until the next time you write. Have a good time and behave yourself if you can.

Anna you are looking fabulous!!!!!!! Having fun in the water too, I remember when you were a bit wary of it. Your brothers & friends look fun to be with. Very big brother is very handsome

Ann x

Fabulous update. Anna is looking wonderful.

Hi Everyone,

Once again, it seems to be getting longer and longer between posts but I guess it gives me loads more to tell you! As usual I have been really busy and have lots of news but as we are not in the office over the summer I have no access to Mum's computer. I'm not sure where to start as there is so much so I think I will start by telling you that Big Brother Benjamin and Evil Hairy One are no longer with us. Big Brother Benjamin did something called "rupturing his navicular bursa" which apparently can't be mended so Mum said he had gone somewhere so he can eat in a field forever. We were quite good friends so I miss him but I still have Big Brother CK as a horsey brother. Mum said he was 25 years old and had done a lot in his life - I can't even imagine being 25 years old! Evil Hairy One got something called "acute kidney failure" and also stopped making red blood cells. He was 15 and to be honest I don't really miss him as I always had to keep one eye on him in case he was going to get me but I can't let Mum see this as she was really upset about him.

I have been off active duties all summer as I hurt my cruciate ligament so had to have an operation on my leg. My nice lady vet told me I would have to go to a specialist doctor who do these operations all the time so Mum drove me to a hospital about an hour away and LEFT me so they could do my operation then she came and took me home. My leg was really sore for ages and Mum still won't let me play as much as I want to but at least I am allowed to do three 35 min walks a day and play in the garden now. I even helped with the gundog handling part of the BASC Young Shots day we had at Mum's work last weekend! Imagine me, Little Anna, being grown up and important enough for that! Obviously, Big Brother Ludwig helped as well and also two of my cousins but the children liked me and Lud the best I could tell!

Because my summer was a bit restricted, I had lots of time to complete my old garden duties of Goldfish Patrol and Snail Watch. I also have ANOTHER new duty called Doorbell Bark. Let me tell you about it. It is a duty I have taken over from the Evil Hairy One now he is no longer with us. We all used to go out in the garden together first thing in the morning and last thing at night and when we were ready to come in the Evil Hairy One would give a little bark by the door to let Mum know we were ready to come in. Once we had no more Evil Hairy One, we had to wait for Mum to come and open the door. She was a bit rubbish at her door opening duties as sometimes we had to wait for ages in the cold so after a few days I decided that I may as well take over the duty of the Doorbell Bark. Mum says I am much more impatient than the Evil Hairy One as I do one bark and then if the door isn't opened within 5 seconds I do three loud barks. Mum says sometimes she hasn't got time to get to the door before I shout for her but to be honest, I think she should just move a bit quicker! I did suggest this to her but it didn't go down too well for some reason.

Because I wasn't allowed to run round this summer, Mum had to think of another way to keep me still and my (rather active) brain occupied - hah - difficult task! Guess what she came up with - huge RAW BONES! They are enormous, I can hardly pick them up they are so heavy and they are some sort of joint bones (Mum says they are cow hock and knee bones and that I ought to learn more anatomy terminology). I thought they might be dinosaur bones because they are so big but I don't really care what they are as long as I can still keep having them now I am better. I think it would be mean of Mum not to let me have them and Ludwig loves them too. She won't let me bring them into the house for some reason so if the garden now looks like a graveyard, it's her fault! I won't let her throw any away either so I have a good pile in the garden. The lawnmower tried to eat one once but it choked and spat it out and Mum said a naughty word that I am not allowed to say which I think is really unfair! if she can, surely I can?

Next time I write an update it will be the shooting season so I will let you know how all my work is going. Last season I had a new shoot to pick up on as well as my original one and to be honest, I was horrified to see how some of the other dogs behaved - Lud and I wouldn't dream of being as naughty as some of them!

Anyway, I suppose I ought to go now and make sure Mum is doing Big Brother CK properly.

Hope you enjoy my update!

Love from Princess Annabel

Ah. Lovely to hear from you Anna. What a lot you have had going on. I hope your leg is better now.

Sorry to hear about your brothers Anna but us humans have to make sure you 4 legged friends don't suffer when you get older so we have to make some hard decisions and it does make us upset.

Glad to hear you are keeping your Mum on her toes with the door opening, princesses like you can't be kept waiting in the cold and dark and *shudder* wet weather!!

I hope your leg gets better soon and I'm sure the dinosaur bones will still be around when you are back to full fitness. It sounds as though you really enjoy them so that's good news!

Look forward to your next update.

Lindsay x

Anna - what can I say? You should write a book!!

Sad to read that you have lost a couple of friends (even if you did have to keep an eye on one of them!) but lovely to read about your wonderful life

O'h bless you Anna what a lovely update, you have had a summer of ups & downs!!! Poor you with the cruciate ligament injury, I'm so glad to read you are well on the road to recovery . I'm sorry to hear you have lost your brothers too

Enjoy the shooting season & look after you & Lud. Hopefully hear from you again soon

Ann x

Hi Anna

Great to hear from you again Anna and to catch up on all your news - sorry some of it is sad. Hope your leg is much much better now. The Doorbell Bark duty sound very important. Hope Mum's getting quicker now!

Sending hugs to you and Lud and looking forward to more news soon.

Ann, Paul & Zac x

Lovely to hear your news Anna!

Hi Everyone

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH!!! I have just been for my final cruciate ligament xray and I have the all clear from my specialist who says my bone healing is amazing!!! And he gave me the pictures too for proof. I can run and jump and play all I want now - YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

A very happy Princess Annabel xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Brilliant news!

Ann, Paul & Zac x