Daisy Howarth

Why Breed Standards Are Bullshit

I always grew up with dogs. As a baby, we had a “Heinz 57” type mongrel called Gazza, who would permanently be by my side according to my parents. If I started crying, he would go and get my mum and make her follow him to me, and all I remember is how attentive he was, and how he grew old. He started to forget he had been fed, or been let out and the time came to say goodbye. I am forever thankful that my parents were honest when I was 6 and explained that Gazza was in a lot of pain, and it would be the kinder thing to let him sleep forever. I didn’t have to feel that pain for another 13 years when we lost one of our Jack Russell’s, Minnie.