During Deirdre's lifetime, Mary-Jane had two rescued greyhounds, Charlotte and Micheal, to whom Deirdre was devoted. After Charlotte's death from cancer, Deirdre did not want to go on walks. When Deirdre herself died, Micheal, for the first time ever, jumped into Mary-Jane's bed that night.
Deirdre
Deirdre and her deerhound friend, Achilles
Deirdre fell in love with a neigbour's two orphaned calves!
Deirdre in her favourite position!
Mary Jane with Deirdre and Charlotte.
Once, Deirdre scared off an intruder, making a noise that Mary-Jane had never heard from a dog before. A cross between growling, snarling and howling, it made her literally leap from her bed when she heard it.
When Deirdre died, two of Mary-Jane's farmer neighbours came within half an hour to dig her grave. They lined it with straw and helped wrap her in her sleeping blanket, then covered her with more straw and flowers. Their presence helped mitigate the shock.
For Mary-Jane, losing Deirdre was unlike the loss of any other dog she had had. Since her death, people she doesn't even know have stopped her to express their condolences - Deirdre had become part of the fabric of the village, part of the local scenery. She is missed beyond measure.