MY MAJOR HERO DOG TODAYS DAILY TELEGRAPH

Did anyone see the article about the black labrador, Major, who saved many lives as a bomb sniffer dog in today's Daily Telegraph? He was a well loved and well looked after dog.

Sadly, some are not so lucky.

My dog Molly (pictured above) usually does exactly what I tell her to do when I tell her. OK....well perhaps not so immiedately if she is on the scent of a delicious rabbit or the exciting scent of a deer. She does it because I am the pack leader and she loves me and I love her. We have a bond.

When I was in Cairo recently I saw this lovely black labrador being treated so badly that I intervened. He was on duty outside The Hilton Hotel sniffing incoming cars for bombs. His handler, someone in the military, had his collar so tight that the dog could hardly breathe or drink. I went out to see him which is when I discovered this. The dog was pathetically friendly. I asked the handler to loosen the collar. He pretended he didn't understand.

I can get seriously angry at any animal cruelty. I went and roused the Manager of the hotel. I complained that the dog had the collar on so tightly that he wouldn't be able to sniff much and therefore it was a waste of time the dog being there! To give the man credit he did come out with me and remonstrated with the sentry. The man refused to do anyting saying that if he did the dog would run away.

I told the manager to translate and say "of course the dog would run away because he was being treated badly". I wonder if it was translated. Whenever a car arrived the dog would be yanked to its feet, pulled across to the car, and the poor thing tried to do his best.

He had no obvious water dish and this in a country where it was hot. Very hot.

I cried for weeks about this dog. I had tried to change his life a little for the best but it didn't work. When I returned to the UK I contacted one or two M.P.'s about the legislation required for UK dogs to be shipped to countries for sniffer duty when those countries had an appalling record of animal cruelty. Particularly, in countries where dogs are regarded as unclean.

I didn't get very far and then of course life went on and I was busy. I still think of that dog.

He wouldn't have had a good retirement like Major in today's paper. He was probably shot and his body tossed onto a smelly heap of rubbish at the back of The Hilton Hotel.

I just wish every tourist who visits such countries would complain bitterly to anyone who will listen. To their hotel, to their representative, to fellow travellers, to the travel company when they come back and to the Embassy of the country they visited.

If everyone did that then people would see that it does make a difference to treat animals well because if they don't they will suffer economically.

Personally, I always hesitate to go to countries where I will see animal cruelty in large numbers because its not a holiday as I always have to do something and that doesn't make you popular with your fellow travellers and friends.

Bit of a yardstick about friends that................