How Paw-fect Pets Improve Life With Chronic Illness

Having grown up in the countryside, I’ve been around animals my entire life. We always had dogs and cats, and I learned how to ride horses. It was tranquil and storybook.

When I left home to take a trip or attend university, I experienced a void only the animals in my life could fill. If you’ve ever had pets, you know they’re part of the family.

One thing I looked forward to about leaving university was finally being able to welcome a new furry family member home with my husband. But as life transpired, we found ourselves in rented accommodations in London, which meant we had to wait awhile longer.

Four years later, a year before my relapsing-remitting MS descended, we moved back to my homeland of Wales and were able to finally bring our lovely new cats into our home.

The void was filled. I’d very much missed the company pets provided.

This became especially true when I experienced a paralyzing relapse the following year and became isolated in our house. The company made all the difference to my mental health.

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Welcoming home a dog

As I slowly began to recover from the relapse, we finally got the go-ahead from our landlord to get a dog. That’s when Ivy entered our lives.

We decided to rescue from a local kennel, and the process was unique in that they didn’t let prospective owners into the kennels to ensure the dogs remained as calm as possible, which I liked. They asked us some questions about our lifestyle and what we were looking for to match us with the right personality.

Beth and Ivy sit on the sofa with a blanket. (Courtesy of Beth Shorthouse-Ullah)

We were told about a beautiful Staffordshire terrier crossbreed who had been found as a stray, then named Vectra. She was one of the kennel’s longest residents at the time, and that tugged on my heartstrings. I was surprised by how intuitive and supportive she was — more supportive on the lead, in fact, than my walking stick. Walking her was one of my concerns, as I was unable to walk a dog alone, but my husband assured me he could manage that side of it.

As a Staffy cross, her strength made me hesitate due to my balance and walking issues, but in the time we’ve had her, Ivy has only used her strength to protect me. A dog’s intuition is incredible. There’s a reason Staffies are called nanny dogs, and she embodies that.

There’s a noticeable difference between how she behaves with me and with my husband, Dave. She’s very rough-and-tumble with Dave, and she’s so gentle with me. Perhaps the best example is when we feed her. With Dave, she sprints full pelt into the kitchen, doing triple midair spins. With me, she’ll follow me through the door and wait until I’ve stabilized myself after picking up her bowl to do her excited spins.

Ivy’s constant love, loyalty, and protective intuition never fail to surprise me. Once, she and Dave were playing tug of war roughly and having a blast. Suddenly, Ivy dropped her toy and walked over to my brother-in-law, who has Type 1 diabetes, and nuzzled him. His blood sugars had dropped drastically within a few seconds, and she sensed it instantly.

Since I got my mobility scooter, I’ve been able to start training her to walk on the lead with me, so I can go out with her on my own. This has greatly improved my independence.

Ivy and the cats truly make our house a home.

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