Downcast...

...because a dog had just attacked her. Meg was on her lead walking at my side when this dog on an extending lead lunged and attacked her.

I had noticed this man lurking behind some trees so I turned to go back to the car. I cannot walk fast being on two crutches and he got between me and my car before I could get in it.

'Be nice to the little doggy,' he said to his dog. But it seemed sinister coming from him. As soon as he said it his dog lunged and and attacked Meg, and he grinned.

Meg's lead is attached to a harness. So I wound the lead round my hand and lifted Meg up quickly so I could hold her by her harness. Thank god for central locking systems on cars. So I got the car open quickly, got in and locked the car and drove off quickly. I stopped as soon as I could because Meg's head was in this hangdog position and her eyes looked so tired and helpless.

When I first got Meg, in the first few months, a large dog attacked her and broke her back leg. She had to have an operation and her back leg was in plaster a long while. This poor little dog that was trained to work for me was trying to drag herself out of her basket to alert me to the sounds she was trained for even while she had her back leg encased in plaster. Finally I had to get a dog cage to stop her working. So she spent a lot of time in there so her leg could heal.

She looks dejected still from this incident this morning. She was not injured. But she looks so tired and weary and dispirited. She is 13 years old. She is an old lady. She was taken unawares and didn't try to defend herself. She was cowed in submission.

I have been making a fuss of her. Gave her a new favourite toy which brightened her for a wee bit. Been playing ball with her too. Gave her some special treats. But I am tired too and just want to sleep.