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Hi' I'm Poppy and this is my story. I'm not always called Poppy, sometimes it's Pops or Poppet or Minkey Monkey or my favorite, Maggot. They call me this because I am white and wiggly, especially wiggly when I am saying 'Hello'. You might wonder how I know this, since I have been deaf from birth. My Mum says it s because I am the most intelligent Boxer she has ever lived with (and that includes an ex-boyfriend named Jon).

I was born in l999 in Ardleigh, Essex. My sister and I were the only white ones in the litter and when Mum and Dad came to see us, they came looking for a white Boxer. This was because Mum wanted to have a rescue Boxer, but as she already had a three year old Doberman dog called Harley, and Dad had an old (but very anti-social) Spaniel bitch called 'Milla', they knew that bringing another grown Boxer into the household would be extremely problematical. So a white Boxer pup was the answer, thankfully. When they came to see me, they didn't know I was deaf at first. Neither did I. Still don't. My sister was being held by Mum and I was tired so I just went to sleep in Dad's arms. That did the trick. The breeder said 'Which one do you want?' and Mum looked at Dad and Dad looked at me and said "We'll have this one". "But she may be deaf, do you think you could cope, I don't want you taking her out of sympathy because she can go up to Boxer Rescue in Norfolk". We can manage her and she'll have the other two dogs for company and guidance "Yes we do feel sorry for her" said Mum, but she's coming with us, we can give her a good home."

That was that.

I joined them at a big house in they were renting in Suffolk, not far from Hadleigh and had the run of the grounds, the orchards and the fields. After a few days, Mum and Dad went back to work. They both work full-time and although this is not ideal, they make sure us lot are always thoroughly exercised before and after they go, so we sleep all day. We also had neighbours who came in to see us during the day. Anyway, I was getting along fine with Harley and 'Milla, although there had been a few tantrums at first. But I soon showed them who was Boss! The kitchen door was a stable door and the other two slept on the chairs in one of the lounges, but I hadn't quite worked out where to wee and where not to wee, so I was left in the kitchen. Ha' I soon worked out how to open that door and get in with the other two. From then we were all good friends and soon I learnt where to wee, although it took a little longer than normal, and I was allowed to stay with the others.

When I was twelve weeks old, we went for our weekend hike through Rendlesham Forest. We were all allowed to run around off the lead, and I was learning so 1 followed Harley most of the time, but he has longer legs than me and I couldn't't keep up'. On this particular occasion, he had gone ahead and I tried to follow. Just as I was going, I smelt this gorgeous smell, put my nose to the ground and ran. I didn't realise how far I had gone until I looked up and realised I was lost. There were lots of people around, but none of them was Mum and Dad! I kept going up to them and sniffing them, but they just weren't. Then this man picked me up - he had two human puppies of his own. They took me away with them and looked after me. But they didn't tell anyone where they were going or what they were doing. What I didn't know was that Mum and Dad were going crazy in the forest looking for me. They searched for me for four days. They telephoned all the newspapers and radio stations. They got friends to help them look for me. But they didn't know where I had gone. Eventually, Anglia TV came to Mum and she showed them some photographs and I was on 'teli' and then they got me back. The TV people came again and this time they filmed me having a bath and then barking at Harley who was swimming in the river. Mum was very pleased and said it was because of them that they had get me back.

Soon after that we had to move house and went to Beaumont-cum-Moze in Essex. It is great here because we live by the seaside and walk on the beach. (I say walk, but I really mean charge about like a lunatic chasing everything that moves). That is how I ruptured my cruciate ligaments. That lovely vet, Richard said it is the worst case he has ever seen. I have to go swimming in a nice hot bath twice a week now, until I am better. The trouble is, my tongue hangs out a lot and dangles in the water, because when I was two years old. Mum noticed a lump under my chin. She took me to see Barry, the other lovely vet and he took a picture of the bones. He said it wasn't good news and that I would need an operation. I didn't know what that was, so I wasn't scared, but I noticed Mum crying a lot about then. They had to cut away a quarter of my lower jaw because I had a very rare type of non-malignant tumour. They said I was lucky my jaw hadn't collapsed. Now when I drink, it goes everywhere and Mum calls me a Minkey and washes the floor. But I don't think she minds really. She does mind, though when I dig up her Lillies or her vegetables. Then she calls me other names.

She called me those names on three other occasions - the first time was at Christmas when she cooked that huge turkey (it was a very expensive Norfolk Black and weighed 241bs). It didn't really mean to jump into my mouth just after they had cooked it and left it to cool, I mean I was just standing there when it leapt off the top straight at me and 'Milla! The other time was when a friend from Spain brought them a big leg of very special Spanish black-toed pig leg, called 'Pate Negra' in Spain. It cost about £70 and I have to confess that this time, I did somehow manage to get it off the hook in the ceiling. Mum says that she swears Harley must have given me a leg-up, because I am very small.

The third time was a bit more serious (although the turkey bones had been worrying) because I waited until they went out, then I snaffled a whole kilo box of Thornton's dark chocolate ginger. This made me pass out and feel very ill and Mum and Dad rushed me to see Richard again. He said I had not quite eaten enough to kill me, but it was close. Mum says that I will be the death of her.

Some of you may remember seeing me at the Boxer Rescue Summer Fun Day, a couple of years ago. Jason and Carl, my Mum's nephews took part with me in the games and I got a first prize for NOT performing my special trick, which is chasing a torch beam! I hope to see you there again this year, if I don't get into too much trouble first!