Scruff, a German Shepherd cross, came from a rescue centre in Felpersham. Already fully grown, he was being rehomed because his owners were moving abroad, nothing to do with his temperament. At least that’s what the Hebden-Lloyds were told…
He started out as Dan's dog and Scruff made his first appearance on 14 August 2003. At first, he didn’t make himself too welcome. He barked constantly, making conversation impossible for Alistair and Shula(back in the days when Alistair and Shula had things to say to one another!).
George Barford seemed to have the magic touch when it came to training the hound. In the yard at the Stables he got Scruff firmly under control and even after George had gone, Scruff obeyed commands from Shula. But when Alistair emerged from the surgery, Scruff immediately reverted to his old self.
Scruff-induced havoc
Scruff’s over-enthusiasm landed him in a number of scrapes. In 2004, Lucky the gnome was damaged when Scruff knocked it to the ground. In 2005, exuberant Scruff unsettled the horses and one of Shula's riders fell off and had to go to hospital. The Scruff-induced havoc continued and a client threatened to leave the riding stables if Scruff didn’t go.
Enter Lynda Snell: Scruff may scare horses but llamas, Lynda said, wouldn’t take nonsense from a mere dog.
While the llamas weren’t bothered, Lynda initially found Scruff difficult to handle. After disturbing Will Grundy’s birds, he told Lynda she was lucky the dog wasn’t shot.
Eventually harmony was achieved: It’s even possible to have a dog as well as a pristine garden. In July 2011, Lynda commented that since feeding Scruff charcoal tablets his urine no longer stained the lawn.
Scruff's disappearance
In early 2015, when Ambridge was hit by horrendous floods, Scruff went missing. Lynda was determined not to give up on her Scruffy – she put up missing pet posters, visited animal rescue centres but Scruff was nowhere to be seen. By the summer, Robert and Lynda started to try to come to terms with Scruff being gone for good.
Then, on Christmas Eve, with James and Leonie visiting for the festive holidays, Leonie heard an unusual noise outside and she and Lynda went to investigate. By a Christmas miracle, Scruff had returned!
Scruff settled back into life at Ambridge Hall with regular strolls round the garden and llama paddock with Robert and Lynda. In his final months he found the Resurgam stone a soporific, sunbathing spot and it was there that his days came to an end. RIP Scruff.
