Tess, old and sick, recognised my voice

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column

Michael Commane

Over the years I have written many times in this column about Tess my Labrador. Indeed, in some ways I used this column as a quasi diary about her.

Regularly on a Saturday we would head off on a 20 kilometre walk. She would love it and seem never to tire.

Every weekday, winter and summer we were out walking in a nearby park before 6.30am. And then in the evening she’d be anxiously waiting for her evening walk.

I remember on one occasion going out to the shed one morning to take her for her walk and she was lying there unable to stand up and certainly she did not want to go for any walk. What had happened was that friends of mine had kept her for the weekend as 

I was away and unbeknownst to them she had managed to eat a large quantity of a chocolate cake. Chocolate and dogs don’t mix.

I managed to get Tess to the vet and fortunately she made a full recovery. She spent a few days with the vet and there were moments when I was very worried about her. 

But Tess was growing old and because I was out at work all day she was on her own. My friends who minded her anytime I was away felt I was being cruel leaving her all day on her own. Eventually they convinced me that she would be far happier and better looked after if she stayed with them. They live less than two kilometres from me. 

It has to be four years since she moved to her new residence. They are a married couple and the woman of the house had just retired so Tess had company all day. 

It was a moment of mixed feelings for me but I knew she would have the best of care.

And so she has. Last week she had a health scare so naturally I went down to see her. Yes, she is feeble. 

For a Labrador she is a great age. I think she could well be 14 or 15. When I knocked at the door Nora told me she was sleeping at the Aga. Because of Covid-19 I didn’t go into the house. And guess what, who appears from behind the door. Very slow on her feet, she had been through a few tough days, but in spite of old age and her illness, Tess had recognised my voice and the moment she saw me she sidled up to me, tail wagging. Tess came over and sat right down at me feet. I had come from work and was dressed accordingly. Tess was shedding her coat, it meant my trousers were covered in her hair. So what, I was ecstatic to see her and to know she had survived another narrow escape.

When I was growing up we always had a dog at home. Of course I remember their names. I cried my eyes  out when they died. In the last 20 years I have had two dogs. It really is amazing the bond that’s built up between a dog and a human.

I often heard my father say that if a human is kind to an animal, it’s most likely they’ll be kind to humans too. There’s much wisdom in that.

Marilyn Munroe’s quote is clever, it says a lot about both dogs and humans: ‘Dogs never bite me. Just humans.’ It’s something Tess never thought of doing.

Just before filing this column I checked in on Tess and she’s doing fine.