[Gpdd] RAINBOW BRIDGE Daisy's story

[Penny Charlesworth]

Daisy came to be a Piggyfriend four years ago after I read an ad in a local free paper. "Good homes needed for hedgehog lookalikes". A population explosion among someone's rexes resulted in tiny babes needing homes. Daisy and her litter brother, Roscoe, came home as tiny grey spiky pompons.

My late SCAMP Nova had recently lost her companion, Squirrel, so I put little Daisy in with her. Some of you may remember my Nova, a tiny piggy herself and I have a photo of them together when Daisy was 16 weeks old showing that they are the same size. I never suspected quite how large Daisy would become but she grew and grew into a large and gracious presence, always watchful for her tiny friend.

I enjoyed writing stories about her as security pig at the Olympigs and hostess for Lady Bug's virtual birthday party. For all her size, she was quite a shy girl and I'm not sure that she would have, in real life, have made speeches and announcements as LAPS President. She just preferred to get on with that all important eating and loved a cuddle.

She lost her dear little friend, Nova, in February this year but found friendship with Hope and Satin, who lived next door in a big divided pen, divided only because Nova could not stand a crowd.

She had a nasty bladder infection earlier this year but had recovered well from that when it seemed that she had somehow poked her eye. A course of eye cream was not helping and then the area below her eye became swollen. She had to go to the vet, where she was diagnosed as having a tumour. The vet tried to remove it but when he had anaesthetised her, it was apparent to him that it was inoperable as it had spread around behind her eye and into her nasal cavities. He asked if he should let her go on the table but up until that day she had not seemed to be in any pain and was eating up as usual so I asked to bring her home to spend what time she had left here with her friends. So he stitched her up again and she returned home.

She never seemed to notice the problem with her eye and I hoped that she would have a while left to her. She carried on eating well and never lost any weight. I had pain meds ready if they were needed but she was eating up so well that she seemed to be pain free.

On the morning of the 1st. August, she appeared to be fast asleep, snuggled in her hay pile, but she had left us peacefully in the night. I know I did the right thing in bringing her home to spend her last days amongst her piggy pals.

She would have approved of Orinoco taking over as LAPS President as, before becoming a Surrey Squeaker, she belonged to Peter Gurney. I always used to read out his View from the Pen, in which his group of sows discussed piggy matters on his website and I think that he would have liked the idea of LAPS.

There is a very large gap in the Piggyfriends group where Daisy used to be but, at least, Hope and Satin still have each other for company.

The tears well up when I look at Roscoe. They were so alike, both silver agouti rex but Daisy had a small crest on her head.

She is buried in the herb garden next to Mayflower and next spring I will sow parsley over their graves.

R.I.P. lovely Daisy. Leave some of that luscious grass at the Rainbow Bridge for the other piggies.

Penny and the sad Piggyfriends.