Mels first experience of dogs started in the early 1940's at the age of 6 or 7, when his mother and he used to visit an aunt and for a treat on a warm summer evening, they would would be taken for drive in the family's Ford Popular. The family dog came too -a Scottie who used to travel on the rear window ledge. This was real treat - not many people had cars and those that had, had to cope with petrol rationing as this was war time. On one of these trips, Mel was sitting on the back seat and as he turned to look out of the back window, the dog snapped and bit him in the face. He bears the scar of this to today on his nose. Not an auspiscious beginning to a life so committed to dogs. His second encounter was a few years later when his father came home on leave from the army with a Golden Cocker Spaniel puppy tucked inside his greatcoat. They called this dog Raq after the spaniel in the Out With Romany books by G Bramwell Evans. These books were popular listening on childrens hour on the radio. This dog became very protective towards Mel's mother, to such an extent he would threaten anyone who came close. He had to be relocated. At this point the doggy story combines as Mel meets Joan and her dog Trixie.
The Crosbys have had quite a few dogs
over the years, not only as Mel was a Police Dog Handler, but also as family
pets; and here the line becomes somewhat blurred as some as the former certainly
became the latter!
On the subject of pets, we should not forget to include Debbie's cats and of course, Donna the Duck.
Dog names have included:
