Bobby the Dog

My old friend, Bobby, sent me this painting recently, a link to it, actually.

Bobby was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Maiwand, 2nd Afghan War, 27 July, 1880

Bobby was owned at the time by Sgt Kelly of the 66th Foot, who perished as 1 of the 11 who held out to cover the retreat of the survivors of that disaster. All of those galliant 11 were killed. Bobby survived with the small force of survivors. That survival haunts him to this day, that he did not go off somewhere, shift, and return to the fight as man or were. It wouldn't have mattered in the end as he would have died with the rest.

Bobby returned to England, spent some time recovering, as dog and man, but eventually found himself back in war, this time in France, at the carnage of the Somme, Loos and Passchendaele. After that war he fled to Canada, found a remote cabin and has been there ever since, living a quite and shifting life ever since. I visited him on my recent travels, to get some critical information that only he possesses.

Bobby is like no other weredog I have ever known. Sometimes he seems more like a wise werewolf, sometimes a mangled man, sometimes a damaged weredog, and sometimes he is something entirely differently, for which I cannot find words.

Note: The above painting is by an artist named Rod McIver who paints and writes, and who has helped Bobby very much in overcoming and dealing with his demons. Rod's web site is here: http://www.herondance.org.