She rescued me

When life felt hopeless, a very special saviour gave me something to live for

- ANNA MATHESON

Walking through the centre, there were shiny black noses, bright eyes, wagging tails and lolling tongues everywhere.

‘Jess is outback,’ the rescue worker told me and my boyfriend Kevin.

It was January 2017 and I’d already been looking at photos of Jess on the RSPCA website. A 3-year-old German Shepherd, she was beauty.

And as we rounded the corner…

‘She’s adorable!’ I squealed to Kevin, then 31, as Jess bounded towards us, a huge, sloppy grin on her face.

Later, watching her run around the nearby field, my heart ached with love.

‘Can we take her home?’ I grinned to Kevin.

‘You bet,’ he said. We signed the papers on the spot.

We’d both wanted a dog for ages, loved animals. It was one of the first things I asked when we met in April 2011.

I was cabin crew for an airline and Kevin was a pilot. We were friends first, but we fell in love. Kevin was so kind, always stopping to help strangers with directions or old ladies with shopping.

Our shifts together literally flew by – he made me laugh so much.

We rented a house in Gran Canaria, where we were based for work. We even adopted two cats, Maxi and Achilles.

Then in 2015, we relocated to Bedfordshire. And shortly after that, Kevin’s parents moved across the road

‘We can get a dog now!’ I’d said happily.

And now, Jess had captured both our hearts.

‘We’re going to your forever home,’ I told her as we drove to our place.

When we arrived, she sniffed all around the house.

And we played with her all afternoon, throwing her ball in the garden and giving her lots of cuddles.