Polo

Dalspa Liquid Gold For Polidot

Polo Best of Breed at Kilkenny, 2005.  Photo by Show Dogs Ireland.

Polo was a great dog to own, lively but loving and a loyal companion. When he was two years old we were driving to the South Wales show on the M4 towing a caravan when we were involved in a serious road accident. My car and caravan were written off but I got Polo out and he made new friends amongst the dozens of personnel from the rescue services, police and local authority who sorted out the mess from the accident. Hours later I set off home in a small hire car. There was no room for Polo in the back so he travelled sitting up on the front passenger seat for the three hour journey. Despite fighting tiredness all the way back he refused to lie down and sleep. I kept seeing his eyes closing then he would jerk himself awake and soon I felt myself dozing off. He put his front paw on my arm and nudged me awake again and did this endless times until we got back home in one piece very late, then he went into his bed and slept round the clock. He was a hero that day and I believe if he had not acted as he did, I would fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed the hire car as well, possibly fatally.

Polo was also a show dog and loved being in the ring although he could be a handful, scattering spectators who believed he would run right through the tapes at the end of the ring!

His best results were RCC, SKC 2002 then after we moved to Ireland, Major Green Star and BOB Kilkenny Championship Show, 2005

Polo lost his fight against cancer in May 2007 having been diagnosed in August 2006, barely a month after I lost Polly.

 

Polly

Pretty Polly Pavey of Polidot

Polly was born on Mersea Island, Essex and was a star from the earliest days, featuring in "Women's Own" magazine in December 1996 as part of an article on why people shouldn't buy a Dalmatian puppy for Christmas. She won two auditions for other photoshoots, The Big Badge Company in the U.S. and Dunhill menswear of London. The campaign for Dunhill won a major award in Portugal and there was a feature in a magazine, unfortunately it's in Portugese but I can work out a fair amount of it!
Polly was never a "cuddly pet" she was aloof and proud from the start, if I cuddled her she would pull away and glare at me! She was highly intelligent and could learn a new trick in minutes as long as there was food waved at her! She ruled the household but was tolerant of puppies; I never bred from her and she was spayed before she was two.
Polly was a great show girl and I am indebted to the well-known Scottish exhibitor Mark Dunnachie who handled her for me at the Border Union Show - she played me up no end - but with Mark she came 3rd in Open Bitch, gaining her UK KC stud book number. I am also indebted to Emer Bermingham who showed her in Ireland a number of times including her win in the Veteran Stakes at the Swords show. Polly also won the Veteran Stakes at the Munster Utility Show two years running, the second win (2006) in fine style bouncing around the ring like a puppy just six days before she died suddenly and unexpectedly. That was the way she would have wanted it.

Polly and Polo are immortalised with many of their dog friends in the book which was published in 2007, "Polly and Friends" - a celebration of dogs and dog life - so their memory lives on. See links page for more details and to visit Mark's website.

R.I.P.