by Nicola Depuis
Mick & Bullseye
If you spend time in Carrigaline, chances are you may already know this loveable pair. Mick Seymour and his 3-year-old Staffie Bullseye are a famous duo in the town and on meeting Mick it’s easy to see why. A gentle giant with a deep sonorous voice and a twinkle in his eye, Mick emanates kindness and warmth, and this is never so evident as when he talks about his best friend Bullseye.
‘Ah…he’s something else,’ says Mick, ‘That dog has saved my life in many ways. I’m lucky to have him.’ Bullseye entered Mick’s life through Cork organisation D.A.W.G. (Dog Action Welfare Group). Mick had met one of D.A.W.G’S volunteers, Sabrina Dent, at a car boot sale in Blarney where he mentioned that he’d love to adopt a Staffie. One of Mick’s friends had a Staffie and he just loved their temperament. Sabrina soon introduced Mick to Bullseye, who was known as Snoop at the time, and it was love at first sight. ‘He was about nine months at the time,’ says Mick, who originally hails from Crosshaven.
‘I brought him home and sure he chewed through three of my chairs and all my slippers and shoes in no time. But they’re only things. One of the best things about having a dog is watching all the enjoyment they get when they’re at home and no-one else can see them. I buy him teddy bears from the local charity shops and sure he loves them. He loves to play.’
Mick’s dog growing up was called Chopper and he said to himself that if he ever had a dog again he’d call him Bullseye. Although the pair were a regular feature outside the Bean & Leaf coffee shop in Carrigaline, Mick no longer brings Bullseye out for their afternoon social as Bullseye was recently terrified by the sound of young people bursting balloons nearby. ‘It was really terrible to see. I couldn’t do it to him again. He’s very nervous now in this area and I never want to put him through that again.’
However, Bullseye still enjoys his two daily walks with Mick who used to play darts for the county. ‘He’s my first priority. I leave him off sometimes in the park and it’s just great to watch him have a good run. There isn’t a bad bone in his body. He loves children…when he hears children, his ears prick up all excited.’ Mick believes there’s a misconception about Staffie’s that gives them a bad reputation even though he finds them the most gentle breed. ‘Bullseye’s an awful slob. He’s great with other dogs and with children. I think children should all be given pets to learn goodness and how to be kind to them and to each other.’
Bullseye is so good with other dogs that he’s found himself a girlfriend. Laughing, Mick tells me: ‘Her name is Sage and you should see them together, they’re just brilliant. You know, I really would be lost without him. He’s a godsend. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.’
Pet of the Week is proudly sponsored by Pet Essentials, Carrigaline. If you would like to put your pet forward for Pet of the Week, please send your details to: nicola@carrigdhoun.com
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