"Next into the ring we have a pair of newcomers here to Crufts! Storm is a Welsh Sheepdog Cross handled by his 16 year old owner, Poppy Jones. Give them a round of applause everyone for making it here!"
Every set of eyes were trained upon the entrance to the main arena, waiting to catch a glimpse of the pair that were the talk of the show. Nothing. They waited a little longer but still, there was nothing...
"I'm afraid that Storm and... Oh my.... Are they ok?.... Is it sorted?..... Oh no, that's terrible.... Oh my goodness!... What do we do now?...
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(By Storm's bench)
"What do you want?!" I heard my girl hiss at the man stood before me, anger radiating from every part of her. I had never seen her get angry before and I was scared. Not scared of her, but scared of the familiar face staring down at me. He had grown up quite a lot since I had last seen his face 2 years ago. He had been my boy, my best friend and right now I didn't know how to feel.
"You have no right to come here. He's not your dog anymore. You didn't want him. In fact, it wasn't just bad enough that you got a dog that you didn't want, you abused him too! People like you don't deserve to have dogs as good as Storm! I bet the only reason you want him now is because he's a champion! You'd better leave now or I'll do something that no respectable person should ever do!"
"Watch yourself little girl" he sneered "you don't want to make me your enemy. Now, be a good little girl and do as I say. I'm gonna get that mutt and I'm gonna walk out of this stupid place with him. And if you try to stop to stop me..." He slowly reached into his jacket and produced a small handgun. I knew this had gone too far. It was my job to protect my girl but yet I was sat here cowering behind her back.
I peered round my girl just slightly, enough to see the person whom I had tried so hard to forget over the past years. He was a threat to my girl and I knew I had to protect her. It was my duty. She had helped me when I had most needed help and I was going to do the same even if it killed me. I took in a deep breath and jumped down from my box. Just seeing his face made my hackles rise and a deep growl escaped from deep within me. I took a few steps forwards and place myself between my girl and the man.
"My my. You've certainly gained some confidence, Marley." My knees buckled and I nearly collapsed on the floor. That had been my name when I lived with them. Unfortunately it triggered a part of my brain where I stored all those terrible memories from years ago. My mind went blank as the thoughts flooded my mind...
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I was only 4 months old at the time. Jake ( the name of the boy) had some of his friends round for a party. They all treated me like a king, until Jake's parents went out and left the boys on their own. They all went from sweet to sadistic in less than a second. One of them went outside and brought a cage back with them. Even before they put the cage up I could tell it was going to be way too small for me. Jake grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and threw me into the back bars of the metal cage, the force producing a soul-destroying crunch when my left shoulder impacted with one of the bars. I let out a cry if pain only to be answered by a shoe hitting me in the ribs. The boys all walked away, laughing, planning how they were going to torture me further.
Jake's parents didn't return for a week. Every day until their return was the same. The boys would all rush to my cage and spend the day experimenting how many different ways they could torture me. The worst day was 3 days after his parents had left. My bed was covered in my own waste but there was nowhere else for me to go. My nose had dried up from having to breath in the acidic air day and night, and my feet were covered in sores from having to stand in the waste all day.
The boys came downstairs earlier than usual that day. They tied a rusty, too-tight chain around my neck and dragged my uncooperative body out into the shed. I don't really remember much else but I know when I woke up my paws were cut, my ribs were bruised and my neck was covered in cigarette burns.
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Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes as I recalled the thought. I didn't know why I had ever loved that boy. Back then I was naive; an innocent puppy who didn't understand that he never cared about me. How things had changed since then.
He took an advancing step towards my girl, threatening words escaping his lips. I let out a bark, all my stored up hatred for this boy from years ago fuelled my body and I jumped at him ready to fight. My girl screamed before the sound of a shot rang out and I fell into his arms. I tried to struggle out of his vice-like grip but my body was not strong enough. All I could see was my girl becoming smaller as she tried, but failed, to keep up with the man who was carrying me out of the NEC and away from the life I had grown so attached to...