It looked like my sheep dog had been attacked with a sword. There was a gaping wound on the side of her back and the skin was curling around it in grey cuffs. Thank God, no one called the animal rights activists! But how on earth had this happened? Later I found out that while my father had been cooking at the stove, our sheepdog Polly had darted at him, started rounding up his legs (like my Dad was a sheep…) and Dad lost the grip on a pan which fell with its contents on Polly. Polly had scarpered into some bushes and was feverously licking her wound. A trip to the vet, expensive treatments and a dog collar to keep her from attacking her wound… But some weeks later it was no better. She was still not eating, and had a type of doggy depression. And her duties were falling by the wayside! Polly is a ‘working dog’ in that she ‘looks after’ my brother who has autism. If he finds himself in difficulty, she alerts someone to come to his aid. Literally, Polly will go to one of my parents, bark in ‘that way’, round them up by twirling around their legs and lead them to my brother. The vet told us that it would take a lot of time and that the fur would never grow back. I remembered reading that the St. Benedict medal had cured a variety of animals – instantly – from various ailments. Grudgingly and a bit sceptical, I put the St. Benedict Medal next to her wound and then (I’m not sure if this is kosher) I attached it to her collar. The next day I could hardly believe my eyes. It was like healing balm had come over the wound, it was almost better! She was eating bowls of food and joyfully bounding up to me. Why hadn’t I taken before and after photos? Had I believed that the St. Benedict’s medal would help my darling little dog, I would have taken pictures of the wound. The fur grew back in parts, but there is still a bald patch and the skin is very off-colour. Polly doesn’t seem to notice!
Here is a link to a list of pious purposes for the medal which include:
· Expectant mothers have obtained special assistance for a safe delivery.
· In time of storms, tempests and other dangers on land and sea it has been found to be a protection.
· Even domestic animals have been visibly aided by it when infected with disease.
PS – I named our sheepdog ‘Polly’ after the character in Fawlty Towers. And later, when Polly had pups, we called them Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, and Mercutio. We balked at calling one ‘Macbeth’. The poorest of dumb animals would never deserve that!
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