Rory the Rescue Dog – the Rescue Dog who became the Rescuer, is a book based on some true adventures and happenings experienced by myself and my wonderful rescue dogs, Rory and Laddie. It is set mostly around the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire and partly in the Highlands of Scotland, where Rory becomes a rescuer himself in many real-life situations.
Rory was rescued from the Cheltenham Animal Shelter at 3 years old, having been found wandering the streets of Gloucester all alone, and came to live with me and my budgie, Mac, who became a great friend of Rory's in a very special way. Laddie, a 3 year old scruffy terrier, joined us 6 months later, also from the Cheltenham Animal Shelter and found wandering around the streets of Cheltenham all alone.
There are many lovely dog-friendly walks in the Cotswolds near our home, and our adventures start on the Severn Way, a 124 mile trail walk along the river. The trail starts at the source of the Severn in mid-Wales and ends in the estuary at Bristol but the part of it we walk often is south of Gloucester, from Elmore down to Frampton-on-Severn, where one day Rory makes his debut as a rescuer. This section of the Severn Way is tidal and sees the river change from a fairly narrow river to a vast expanse. Twice every day the famous Severn Bore (or tide) travels up the river, sometimes forming a wall of water as it squashes up between the ever-decreasing width of the river bank. Many people go to view the Bore during high tides, and some of them surf or canoe the wave as it heads towards Gloucester.
Another dog-friendly walk featured in Rory the Rescue Dog is at Woodchester Mansion, an eerie and fascinating place hidden in a secluded wooded valley near Stroud, and run by the Woodchester Mansion Trust. The mansion is surrounded by grounds run by the National Trust – Woodchester Park. The mansion is purported to be haunted and, along with the Park, has been featured in a number of films and TV programmes, the most famous of which, I imagine, being Harry Potter. There are a series of lakes in the park, with a number of trails running alongside the lakes and in the woods on either side where you can see a variety of flora and fauna. Rory comes to the rescue again here and you will be able to discover some of the places mentioned in the book, and possibly see what he saved us from...
Just over 3 miles away from Woodchester Mansion, in the direction of Stroud, is Selsley Common, an ancient and dog-friendly place to go for a romp around. The common is on top of an escarpment with fantastic views looking over the Severn Valley and beyond to the Forest of Dean, the Black Mountains in Wales, the Brecon Beacons. the Malvern Hills and, on a clear day, the two Severn bridges crossing from England to Wales. Here, yet again, Rory comes to the rescue, along with his pal Laddie and, if you go there, you will find the Bronze Age Toot's Barrow mentioned in the book, and possibly more....
Rory the Rescue Dog is a timeless story for all ages, young and old, and not only does it contain exciting, illustrated stories, it also has original songs, poems, rap and other activities to enjoy. The music can be downloaded free from the website in printable pdf format and audio mp3 format.
Discover Rory's walks through the Cotswolds by buying the book from the website rorytherescuedog.co.uk for £6.99. As one reviewer says - “Follow Rory and Laddie through their adventures and, along with the carefully crafted poems, songs and original music that powerfully convey their struggles and successes, you will be in for a treat”. Another reader commented "I bought your Rory the Rescue Dog book today at Cheltenham Animal Centre... it is a lovely book, very enjoyable to read and I can relate to the places that you have visited."
A donation will be made by the author to the Cheltenham Animal Shelter on every book sold worldwide as a 'thank you' for letting me have Rory and Laddie in the first place.
This article was written by Paula Towers, author of Rory the Rescue Dog – the Rescue Dog who became the Rescuer.
