After travelling for three years, my fiancé Mick and I decided to settle in the Pilbara, Western Australia for work. There is a local animal rescue group called SAFE (Saving Animals From Euthanasia) which is always seeking ‘foster parents’ to look after abandoned pets until a full-time home can be found for them. It is something I had wanted to do for some time, as we were not really in a position to have a ‘full-time’ pet and I thought fostering would be a good compromise.
Our first ‘foster child’ was a ten-month-old kelpie cross called Chevy. She had been surrendered by her owners because she used to dig holes in the garden and tear up their irrigation system. I was a little apprehensive about fostering her, as we only have a small courtyard and were in the process of trying to establish a garden. But she needed a home so we agreed to give it a go. Mick wasn’t too keen on the idea, but within in a week he and Chevy were best mates – until holes started appearing in his garden!
We came up with a solution and bought a kids’ clamshell sandpit. We filled it with beach sand and encouraged her to dig in it and bury her bones there, and it actually worked! After a few weeks we couldn’t imagine our lives without her, so we officially adopted her. Chevy has now been a full-time member of our family for six months and hasn’t dug any holes since – well, not in the garden at any rate …
One night we had some friends round for a barbeque. I had given Chevy a shin bone before I left for work that morning and she had obviously buried it in ‘her spot’. Our friends had brought their dog over to play and Chevy was getting quite agitated about her bone possibly being discovered. She dug it up and was trying to find another spot to hide it. As she went slinking past, Mick said, ‘Hide it good, girl, and don’t let them find it.’
She obviously found a good hiding place, as she was soon back and playing with our friends’ dog. We all had our tea and our guests left, so it was time to clean up and go to bed. About 4 am I was woken by the sound of my fiancé screaming, and then threatening all kinds of horrible things to his beloved dog. I turned on the light and was horrified to discover that she had taken her daddy’s advice and had indeed found a good spot to bury her bone – right under his pillow!

Author: Justine O’Leary
Country: Australia
True story: Yes
Rating: 3 paws down
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