Pets Corner

One summer I was working in the garden when my daughter came out and called to me (a rare occasion for her to come into the garden) she asked “how long has Morgan had fillings Dad?” well I thought for a while and quite frankly couldn’t ever remember taking him to the dentist and the idea of him going by himself or actually being able to find one on the National Health didn’t seem a possibility either.
I called him to me and when he eventually did as bid wrestled him to the ground and sat astride his barreled chest. He twisted from side to side like a bucking bronco but became silent and still as I rested my hands around his neck. I asked Sarah to fetch a wooden handled screwdriver from the drawer that holds all in the kitchen. As I relaxed my grip around his throat he made a gasp for air and I managed to place the wooden handle of the screwdriver between his rear molars effectively jamming his jaw in the open position ‘ala crocodile’. I tilted his head back and saw the glint of metal in the dark depths of his jaw where the giant molars bone crunching rested. On both sides he had two fillings a total of four perfectly placed and central to the dentine depression. On closer examination the exposed metal had the pattern of a Philip’s countersunk screw head number 8. I ask my young assistant to fetch a suitable Philip’s screwdriver and placing it into the depression slowly unscrewed the fixings. Morgan had calmed at this stage, maybe my weight had a pacifying effect.
I removed the four screws from his jaw leaving neat holes the size of: a number 6 screw. He must have picked them up on one of his forays into the garage. He had chosen bright nickel plated and must have delicately postioned each one into the perfect postion to exert the might of his force and pile drive the screw through the tooth; slowly. Mrs Oaks his vet examined later that day. He proudly showed her his mouth wagging his tale vigourously. Mrs `Oaks said that I should have left them in he had done a fine jod of filing the cavities which were now gaping casms. She filled the holes with an epoxy resin and bid us farewell with a cheery ‘see you soon’. He had always had this thing about metal ever since his puppy stage. I remembered the time he had remained in his basket all afternoon ‘as good as gold’ chobberling on some tiny object that he refused to share with me or anyone else. Each time I tried to coax him into sharing his secret he growled softly but menacingly at the same time. His gums were bleeding and his dribble was red. I placed my hand into his mouth and wrapping my hand around his tongue rummaged round before finding the object of his attention, it was a tiny piece of metal. He had found a pin and folded it once and then miraculously once more. He was to go on to greater things as he matured his alternate being a Gold watch belonging to Jan’s mother. He didn’t swallow it whole he chose to chew each part. The bracelet was dismantled piece by piece saving the movement until last. Maybe it had something to do with a deficiency in his diet, whatever.

He was my best pal for 13 years, never told a lie, was always there to share any food I had and welcomed me with a wagging stump whenever I returned from being away from, even for a few minutes.

A pair of Dobermans in Sutton Park once savagely attacked him, one went for his throat while the other attacked him from the rear as their owner looked on. I kicked the rear Doberman with such force my foot sank into its rib cage and lifted him off the ground. With sobbing howl it went back to its master as did the other. The owner said something about my vicious attack on her dogs, but I didn’t hear. I carried Morgan back to the car cradling him in my arms and as I but him onto the back seat he licked my ear and his stump of a tale wagged. He never left my side after that incident comforted that I would protect him; well it was the least I could do, for I knew that when I was away he would stand guard vigilantly and protected my house and the three woman therein.

I had my garage broken into one winter the double glazing had muffled out the sounds of the contents being removed. It must have taken 30 minutes to clear and load into their van. When police eventually came later that day. I suggested that they must have been known to Morgan, why else would he have been silent. Their answer was that when the master is at home it was usual for a family pet to switch off its guarding duties. He had slept as peaceful as the rest of household on that occasion.