We saw KiKi’s picture on the ASH Animal Rescue website on Friday. It’s too soon, we said. Leica will get better, we said. We’ll get better, we said. It’ll be fine. Well that resolution lasted all of about two days before we called them. “Is KiKi the Dalmatian still there? OK, we’ll be there on Monday . . . ”

The idea that any other dog could take Flash’s place in either our or Leica’s life was never really at question. Flash was one of a kind, dopey and loveable and devoted to her sister and to us. Still. We packed Leica into the car and set off to meet KiKi. Whatever we felt, however damaged we might have been by the loss of Flash, we knew that any dog we might bring home had to be able to be a companion for Leica first and foremost. All our hopes had to take second place. If the dogs met and didn’t get along in the first instance, we would have to move on to be fair to them both.

Four hours down the road we arrived at ASH. Leica has never been to kennels, certainly never to a pound or rescue centre, and the scents and the noises of the place seem overwhelming to her. She no sooner gets out of the car than she wants to get back in. Leica stays with Martha in a little car-parking field, while I go to find Remi and his wife Helena who run ASH and Remi takes me to meet KiKi. She’s in a shared pen with a Labrador. The Lab doesn’t seem to bothered by my visit, and as dogs bark and jump on either side of the enclosure, KiKi puts her forepaws up at shoulder height on the mesh, throws her head back and howls at me. I have a terrible feeling I could be in trouble here.

We put a collar and lead on her as she jumps around like Tigger, and we set off down the hill to find Leica and Martha. As the two dogs come close by, Leica still just seems to want to head back to the car while KiKi is quite happy to meet them both equally. Content at least that Martha and I are both together, Leica seems happy enough with KiKi around that we can all walk (or get dragged) up the laneway together.

A short time later, as we get ready to leave, KiKi is taken back to her pen. I turn back to take another look. She has her eyes fixed on me as she stands on her hind legs and again she howls.