Once upon a time, when we first moved to Ireland, we decided we’d quite like to adopt a retired greyhound and, as many of you will know, this is also how we first met J, when we adopted the adorable and much-missed B from her.

On the day we went up to J’s Dundalk kennels to meet B, we also came across poor Boysie. He’d suffered the most appalling ill-treatment and had been starved nearly to death. I remember at the time feeling so angry that people could starve an animal to the point where he was so damaged and confused that when he was finally fed he would hide his food rather than eat it. J certainly had her work cut out. The lovely man that ran J’s kennels at the time (and quite a few people besides) told J that Boysie was beyond help and that the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep. Kind-hearted J would hear none of it and set about helping Boysie on the long and difficult path back to health.

And here, two years later, in a picture that I can hardly believe is real, is that poor, emaciated, ill treated lad today, in his new home with his new mates (plus three cats!). Happy, healthy and looking remarkably like B, stuffing his face in his new home in Italy. What a testament to time, patience and a little TLC eh? Enjoy, Boysie.

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