Finlay, my insirpation

Wow! It’s been one whole year since I set up this Network – and what a year it’s been. Full of bitter/sweet memories. I lost my own beloved scottie, Finlay, to TCC in May 2013 and you all shared in my grief and in turn I shared the grief of the loss of many of your scotties throughout the months of 2013. These devastating losses have hardened our resolve to try and understand why our scotties are so susceptible to certain cancers.

We’ve also welcomed new members to the Network and seen it growing by the day, with an influx of members dedicated to our breed and to see it become more healthy. I also thank those of you who do not own a scottie, but follow us all the same.

Many of us have also been joined by new scottie babies, me included, and we’ve all laughed at these puppy antics, whilst at the same time pulled our hair out with their stubborn scottie-tude. And I think you’ll all agree with me that we wouldn’t want to change that characteristic of our beloved scotties.

Inroads have been made here in the UK with the search for pedigree scotties suffering from TCC to join in our Preliminary Research Study. I coined the phrase “one small step for man, one giant leap for Scottish Terriers” in my article ‘TCC – Moving Forward’. However, a quotation by Lao-tzu is also suitable : “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – that single step has been taken and there’s no going back.

Our Motto

I really hope that those beloved scotties we are losing at an alarming rate, will be the legacy of this Network, and so I say a big thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who are following our progress. You’ve stuck around even though some postings are depressingly sad (they tear me apart when I’m writing them) but without the sharing of these sad stories our knowledge of scotties will be stunted and we will be unable to move forward with such passion and understanding. This is at the core of this Network and it is our “motto” percipio percepi perceptum; salveo (to gain learn perceive understand ; to be in good health)

I hope 2014 will be as kind as it can be to each and every one of you.