THIS week I’m talking about pets.

It’s coming up to the anniversary of my Mother’s death and I never forget how our wonderful little pug dog, Truffle, spent the last 8 days of her life with his head resting above the crook of her knees.

Utterly devoted right to her final breath he then placed his nose to her face, jumped off her bed, and inconsolably buried himself in cushions for several days afterwards.

A friend keeps labradoodles. The eldest, Missy, was 11 years old, and a gentle, affectionate soul. For a few recent walks she had been wandering away from the other three.

Inside the house she was taking herself off underneath beds and wedging herself in corners. Noting a change in her behaviour my friend had been keeping a close eye on her.

But the dog was eating and drinking and managing stairs without any apparent difficulty other than a bit of stiffness.

Last week however, she became paralysed and incontinent; so was taken to the vet, deteriorated rapidly in the space of hours, and was subsequently put to sleep.

My friend was much comforted when recalling the actions of her youngest dog who was close to Missy.

The old dog wedged herself under a bed the day before she died - it was there she discovered the younger dog curled up beside Missy gently licking her face…

Another pal keeps a pair of horses - one of whom died suddenly three weeks ago.

The other, now on its own, was catapulted into a grief/panic reaction, totally bereft, careering around her field whinnying in distress, stopping, starting, pounding the ground with her hooves.

So she set out to find a companion asap, and happened upon a local pony who had been bought by a fond grandfather for a child who failed to develop an interest in riding.

This pony is now stabled with my friend’s other horse. The old horse and younger cob formed an immediate bond within hours.

The grieving equine is calm once more…

An affidavit to that particular story… My friend Maxine with the horses is very taken with my impossible dog Poppy the JRT x Pug - who has canine-decreed Maxine has need of dollops of Poppy-type affection whenever she visits - thus making Maxine feel quite special… Well, it’s barely credible, but the new companion for the older horse arrived without a name.

And Maxine is so fond of The Naughty One the new pony has been named Poppy…

Talking of whom… we visited the vets yesterday where Poppy was given a rabies booster in preparation for travelling to France.

But the bad news is, that if we crash out of Brexit she would then require a Rabies Antibody Titration Test before we can travel.

If that comes to pass Poppy and I will be unable to travel until three months after this blood test - which would kibosh my plans to travel next May.

These Titration Tests cost in excess of £100.

Dog owners watch Westminster proceedings with close interest on many counts…