My Life with 20 Dogs (and a Pig)

These are some of our family. We live in a small place called Penhill outside Cape Town in South Africa. Some people wonder how we can all get along together - but we do. From time to time things can get a little hairy - but on the whole we are a big happy family. Our house in Penhill is our refuge - where the sick, hungry and lost make up our home. The greater number of the household are dogs - that is if you do not count the mice in the garage and kitchen - and nobody has because there are just too many. If we were a democracy, the mice would rule - but as it stands we are a dogracy.

This is William. Just William, Willful William. He also goes by the name of Bill. A wicked sense of humour, there is nothing more fun than nipping another dog from behind to see what kind of reaction will be solicited - darting out of reach before the hapless victim can respond in kind. Sometimes William will nip a visitor - but that is just part of the fun. But what beats all wickedness is the borehole. There can be nothing more fun than killing a powerful writhing stream of water that will not succumb. This game can be played for hour after hour. Drenched, where better to dry off than the bed. And so sleep is permeated by the perfume of wet William...

Relaxing in the front garden, Fuggly is taking a moment from being the benign head of the household. He takes this responsibility for keeping the rest of the family in check seriously, but from time to time the call of a sunny Sunday afternoon is too much. Gentle and peace-loving, he keeps his paw on top of everything that goes on in the household - nudging any over- boisterous juvenile into line with a deep soft 'grughgh'.