We had a Red Setter that was a stray dog who visited us daily purely for scraps of food. Growler was a very independent dog that didn't like too much affection from people, and would only arrive at our house for food. If anyone tried to approach him then he would bare his teeth and growl at us, hence the nickname we gave him.

Then one night I felt so guilty about "Growler" being out there in the cold, I sneaked out of bed and raided the fridge for food for him, and went off on my mission to find him. Ok, so I was only 3 then, but I knew I had to find him. Unbeknown to my parents I set off, with a pound of ham, a scotch egg, and some chocolate to tempt this wild dog into my house.

We lived on the rock of Gibraltar in one of the Army bungalows there, which was huge with 5 or 6 bedrooms. I remember going out into the night. It was quite breezy, and OH so dark. In the distance I could remember hearing the Apes fighting or whatever Apes did at 3 in the morning and I was frightened, but I knew I had to find Growler no matter what.

I walked down the road and quietly called out to Growler and luckily he was fast asleep under a bush not so far from the house. I sat on the cold floor and called to him and he came to me. He sniffed around me, but not once did he growl at me.

I offered him some chocolate, and shared the rest between the two of us, and then I gave him the egg. I remember he ate like there was no tomorrow, and he laid down close by my side after he had eaten, and for the very first time, he allowed me to stroke him. I think he knew I didn't want to hurt him and was there to help him, but I also believe now, he wouldn't abandon me now.

He stayed by my side all the way home and I knocked on the door until my dad answered it. Dad panicked when he saw me. The rest of the household came downstairs and Mum started crying. That really upset me, and I cried with her.

But Growler stayed by my side all the time, and when I explained in my 3 year old voice that Growler was hungry and cold and I wanted to bring him home, everyone laughed, more out of relief than anything that I came home safe.

From that day on, Growler followed me everywhere, and accepted the rest of the family as his friends too.

Life in Gibraltar

Us kids all got together and decided that we needed something more than the bath, and put them in our large water tank out the back of our house, which didn't amuse mum and dad as that was our drinking water. Anyway, dad found an old water tank, just a little smaller than our water tank, and we stored the terrapins in there.

We also had a cockerel called Johnny, which found its way to our house, via a delivery truck, and he adopted us too. Quite often he would have a swim with the terrapins in the tank. He was very vicious to other people who came to visit and tried to scare them away. He must have believed he was a guard dog. We got some chickens to keep him company, and very soon we were hatching their eggs in the airing cupboard.

One day we were going down onto the Rock where the apes were. We did this quite often. I was feeding one of the baby apes when suddenly the mother attacked me and bit my arm. She must have thought I was hurting her baby, then the rest of them were going mad, they were screeching at us and we ran back to the car. Dad threw us in the car, and they began attacking the car, thumping on the windows, pulling the windscreen wipers off. It was very scary, and S* and I were screaming.

Until then I had no fear of them, even when they ran across the rooftop of our house, and came into our garden and stole our washing from the clothesline. Growler always chased them off, closely followed by Johnny, squawking like a banshee at them, but we always got our washing back, lol

I don't think I ever visited them again :(

Leaving Gibraltar

Mum and dad were great believers in teaching us all to swim at an early age, and by the time I was 3 I was capable of swimming alone. Well, under supervision, and they nicknamed me "The Water Baby" as I always moaned and whined about wanting to swim.

Then dad was posted to Germany and we had to pack up and leave, but the new tenants in our house agreed to look after the animals, apart from Growler who sadly had to be put to sleep, as he refused to settle with anyone else...