Seamus had been a stray for a long time. He survived alone in the fields, and by the streams of the valley, visiting the Hope and Anchor pub for food and a dish of beer. He was thin, his black coat straggly, and he had lost most of his teeth.

A young couple, regulars at the pub, became fond of Seamus and brought him home.

Months later, my mother answered an ad in the local paper. After a few meetings, Seamus was ours. The couple who had rescued Seamus were moving to Canada.

Seamus lay by the front door for days waiting for them to return. Gradually, Seamus transferred his love and loyalty to my mother. I was eight years old and I wanted to take him for walks on my own, but he wouldn’t leave the house without her.

When my sister and I were in our teens we took Seamus on a family holiday to a remote Scottish island. Seamus stretched out on the back seat of the car for the long journey from Somerset to Scotland.

In this alien environment, Seamus was pleased to go exploring with me. We wandered along the shore in peaceful companionship every day, among the rough grass and rocks. In places, there was a sticky black mud that felt boggy and unstable. At one particular point on our walk the island atmosphere began to feel sinister and hostile. Seamus repeatedly refused to go any further. He was right, I had no idea that mudflats are extremely treacherous.

One evening, Seamus found some fish that had been discarded by fishermen and left to rot. With the habits of a stray, Seamus wolfed it down. The effect was instant. Seamus collapsed, convulsed, then lay on his side, motionless. We couldn’t tell if he was breathing. There was no telephone to call a vet, and only a small boat to get to the mainland. In despair, my father proclaimed that Seamus was dead, or would be soon.

There is something more powerful than hope in the survival instinct of a wild or stray animal. Seamus wriggled his legs a little, lifted his head, and stood. He shook off the disaster as if nothing had happened. Following his example, we never dwelt on the incident again.

We have always chosen rescue dogs since Seamus. But perhaps it is more accurate to call them survivors.