When I heard that Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, is to be honoured with a blue plaque at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh University, I began to wonder about all the other deserving animals. Here are some that spring to mind.
The cat that valiantly rescued a boy in California from a savage dog
This brave little moggy terrified the dog away from the scene, saving the grateful lad from nasty injuries. Apparently the two are now inseparable. Give that cat a plaque.
Kai the Shar Pei
The gorgeous dog Kai, abandoned at Edinburgh station and tied to a railing next to a suitcase containing his food and toys, broke many a heart. Kai’s owner had rejected him for not being the correct purchase but there were thousands of offers from all over the world to give the cutie a home. A JustGiving page was set up to pay for Kai’s medical care, which raised more than needed. Other animals in need will benefit from the surplus cash.
Bob the marmalade tomcat
Thanks to this feline, one homeless man who was selling the Big Issue to get by became a famous author who has travelled the world. In 2007 James, a recovering heroin addict, found an injured and starving cat curled up on a step in a block of flats in north London. James took him in and got him to the vets (spending the last of his money), and the bond between them was set. Bob followed James everywhere, including on to the tube, sitting quietly on his shoulder. I met them both one evening in Covent Garden. Bob sat at James’s side, while tourists and passersby came to chat to them both. James’ book A Street Cat Named Bob, has sold more than 3m copies and is translated into over 35 languages. There is talk of a film.
Hamish the cocker spaniel
In 2012 Hamish became known as Scotland’s first blood-sugar sniffer dog. His owner, Carol Miller, has type one diabetes and has been saved from possible death no fewer than four times by Hamish. Hamish can smell changes in Carol’s glucose levels, and licks her face until she wakes. He has even been known to fetch Carol’s medical bag for her.
The horse that killed a suffragette
The thoroughbred that collided with Emily Davison in 1913 may not, at first glance, appear a deserving recipient of a blue plaque but think again. Many believe Davison did not intend to kill herself by throwing herself under the horse but rather to disrupt the race in order to draw attention to the suffragettes’ cause. It worked. Davison’s tragic end ensured that the campaign for women’s equality had a martyr.
The London whale
No Londoner could have missed the poignant story of the northern bottlenose whale that became stranded in the Thames in 2006. It united those of us in the capital and beyond who followed the story of the valiant attempts to rescue it. I recall folk on the tube actually taking to each other about the fate of the whale, which made a pleasant change from grumpy silence.
The late Norma Hotaling’s dog Myko
Norma had been street-homeless, addicted to heroin, and abused in prostitution since childhood. Then she found Myko, a stray in need of a cuddle, and took him home. Norma told me that having an animal to take care, which gave her unconditional love, saved her life. Norma went on to work with, and improve the lives of, hundreds of homeless, prostituted women.
Sasha the former army sniffer dog
Sasha died in Afghanistan and was posthumously awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross last year for her bravery. Sasha died alongside her owner, Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe, in 2008 when they were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Sasha was the 65th animal, joining cats, horses and birds who have served alongside humans, to be awarded the medal
The Diana lookalike Maisie
Finally, no list of this type would be complete without one of my own pets, Maisie, being included.
Maisie rose up from her humble beginnings on a traveller site in rural Ireland to become the first (so far as I know) prize-winning royal lookie-likie canine. Surely that deserves public recognition.
