A MUM who wanted to take her own life said she wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her 'hero dog'.

Karen Woodage from Calcot, Reading, revealed how her loving Jack Russell and Chihuahua cross Ruby Roo gave her the "purpose to carry on in life".

The 49-year-old dog behaviourist and trainer bought Ruby Roo after her daughter Nicole begged her to get a puppy.

She already has a German Shepherd dog but her daughter wanted a small dog to befriend and play with.

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Karen said: "My daughter was 15 when she wanted to get a little dog. We saw the puppies but we wasn't allowed one as they had already found homes. Funnily enough, they phone us back a week later as one of the owners had pulled out -- it was a no brainer! The pup was sat in the corner of the room and didn't play with the other puppies but she came to us. I totally believe she was meant to be."

 

For more than 25 years Mrs Woodage has suffered from depression which all stemmed from being bullied at school.

She said: "I was followed home, spat at, pushed and punched. I was 11-year's-old at the time and it was just after my dad died. I was the apple of my dad's eye. I never wanted to go out but when I met my husband Carl 32-year's-ago it took him a while to understand my feelings, until I got Ruby, he then noticed the difference."

In 2010, Karen decided to lock herself in the bathroom after returning home from the school run when she heard her little dog barking at the door.

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She said: "I went into the bathroom and I just thought this is it. I felt like such a burden to my family but then I heard Ruby barking, crying and scratching at the door. She made me realised that people needed me so I then went for help.

"Ruby switched that light on and brought me back into reality."

Reading Chronicle:

When Karen had a bad depressive spell she kept a diary and logged her feelings. During this time, Ruby would sit by her, rest her head on her lap and lick her hands.

Adding: "She knows the chemical imbalance. She's with me through thick and thin, that's all I need in life and I love all my dogs."

Karen also knew she had a problem with her skin which later turned out to be skin cancer.

She said she "didn't care at the time" because of her depression but Ruby Roo helped her see "something worth fighting for" so she went to the doctors and had her mole removed. Karen now has the all clear.

She also believes her furry friend saved her daughter Nicole's life and her unborn baby daughter.

"She stayed over one night and Ruby followed her everywhere around the house. Nicole then sat down and the baby was moving that evening. But then things changed and she got worse so we took her to the hospital where she was told she had preeclampsia condition, it's very serious and mother and baby can die.

"She gave birth by emergency caesarean where the baby was born at seven months at the time, Emily weighed just three pounds. I believe Ruby was here to save us. Nicole kept saying to me that evening, 'I'm fine mum' and I said to her 'I trust my dogs judgement."

Granddaughter Emily is four and a half year's-old and is best friends with her grandmother's dog.

Because of Ruby Roo's canine ability, she is up for The Companion Award along with several other canines in this year's Naturo SuperDog Awards 2021.

The awards celebrate how pets have made a difference to their owner's lives and promote responsible dog ownership.

The Naturo SuperDog Awards will be hosted by TV presenter Stacey Dooley and take place at a celebrity-hosted evening in London this November.