All dog lovers enjoy a good rescue dog story, and the Diplomatic Dog of Barbados, by Winfred Peppinck is exactly that. The dog at the heart of this story starts off living rough with his mother and siblings. He later becomes the captive of a despicable man who wants him as a security dog, and has training methods I've never come across in any training manual. The wild dog is christened Roy, and the reader is firmly on his side when he makes his escape.
Roy becomes Sandy, when he is taken in by the Barbados Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Luckily for Sandy the BSPCA have a no kill policy, but he languishes there for over 18 months. This is where the happy ending begins, because Sandy is adopted by no less than Winfred Peppinck the Australian High Commissioner/Ambassador to the Caribbean. With the new home comes a new name – DD which stands for Diplomatic Dog.
Although the dog is the star of the story, the book also offers insights into lifestyles on Barbados, which vary greatly, and the world of a high-flying diplomat. The dog of uncertain origin becomes an inmate of the fabulous Molyneaux House, which is situated amid a golf course where the likes of Tiger Woods, Hugh Grant and Prince Andrew enjoy a few rounds. However DD is more interested in chasing the mongoose and monkeys that until his arrival thought the grounds were theirs. DD has a lot to get used to, including television, and traveling in cars, not to mention official functions and even some charity work. Life has more ups and downs in store for DD; has he really found his happy ending and his forever home?
This is a story told with humour, which considers what a dog’s view of events might be. You can hear short stories by author Winfred Peppinck in Episode 66 and Episode 75 of DogCast Radio.
Review by Julie Hill