We spent a few days looking into the condition that had taken Flash from us. Canine GDV (Gastric Dilation and Volvulus), or ‘Bloat’ as it is sometimes called is a condition which affects many dogs, in particular ‘deep-chested’ breeds such as Pinschers, but not so often Dalmatians. Despite having had Flash & Leica for all those years, we had never heard of it. Flash was though, no stranger to the Vet: Run down by a van at the age of two; scratched by a seal and suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction; eating a jellyfish; squatting on a hedgehog; eating raw eggs. It was a long list of trips, almost inevitably out-of-hours, to whichever vet we could find that would answer the phone in the middle of the night.

We designed a poster/leaflet describing the symptoms of GDV, based in part on the information we came across on a Facebook group (Canine Bloat Awareness) and distributed it through any channels we could think of. We shared it on Facebook, emailed it to every vet clinic and shelter we could find online. We thought that if we had been so unaware, maybe other dog owners were too. Some clinics and groups responded, many did not.

In searching for places to share the leaflet, we came across the website for ASH Animal Rescue in County Wicklow. ASH at the time was home to more than 100 dogs. In our trawl through the internet we’d seen dog after dog after dog, hoping for another chance in life. Then, quite unexpectedly, say “Hello” to KiKi.