Paperbark Merchants: Rick Fenny captures impact of red cloud kelpies in his recent sequel
When I was a little girl and first moved to the coastal town of Albany (yes, I’m talking pre-1998, back then it was still classified as a town) my family found and adopted a stray Red Cloud Kelpie pup who my mother proudly named Rye-Biscuit Whitbread.
Rye was a delight of a dog.
His general enthusiasm and endless energy was just the thing my sister and I needed to assuage our transition from city to country living.
Years later when my parents were occupied by the critical medical needs of our younger brother, Rye was a faithful companion for us girls, consistent, compassionate, and ever-loyal.
His dedication to our family unit was much needed and never forgotten.
Pets leave such lasting impressions.
Even though for many they are with us for a comparatively short period of time pets have a natural knack of embedding themselves into the fabric of our existence and inevitably influence who we are as people.
Rick Fenny, known by many as the Red Dog Vet, has dedicated his working life to caring for a diverse range of animals and beloved pets.
Throughout his formative years and early career as a vet, Rick always had a Red Cloud Kelpie by his side.
Each successive dog left a memorable mark on his sense of self, shaping him to become the vet and man that he is today.
In 2020 Rick self-published ‘Red Dog Vet: Pip, My First Red Dog’, the first in an ongoing series of Red Dog Books.
Each book chronologically captures a specific period of time in his career and lovingly describes the Red Dog that coincided with that time of his life.
Rick has just released book two in the series, ‘Red Dog Vet: Kelly, my second red dog’.
Rick accompanied by Marjie (Red Dog No. 9) will be with us instore this Saturday, from 11am to chat with locals and sign copies of his new book.
Make sure to pop in and give Marjie a pat and say hi to Rick.
Billie-Jo Whitbread is the events co-ordinator and box office manager at Paperbark Merchants in Albany
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