How Skype is helping pet-lovers with separation anxiety

WHEN I got my dog, Charlie, he was so small he could fit in the palm of my hand. When I moved house eight months later, I had to carry him in my two arms.

His first day at home was spent cowering under a chair, while my three sisters, brother, the neighbours, my mother, and I took turns peering at him.

It didn’t take him long to realise he had landed on his feet with us and the brazen, cheeky chappy was soon sauntering around like the lord of the manor.

When I was at home studying for my masters, Charlie would sit on a chair by the table and bring a vibe of optimism to my drudgery in compiling a thesis. He also enthusiastically participated in the study breaks spent watching episodes of Keeping up with the Karadashians. I think Bruce was his favourite.

After college, I got a job in Cork and leaving Charlie behind was tough. I missed his happy face and I felt bad that he didn’t know where I had gone. One minute, I was there, the next, I was not. The ‘language barrier’ made the move difficult for both of us. Every time I’m home for a visit, Charlie is the first to notice. He recognises the sound of my car engine as I pull into the driveway, and he barks excitedly before I get to the door.

The only way to calm him down is to take him for a run. He is a great running partner, although he has a strange fascination with the swans in the local lake, and that stops him in his tracks.

Tracey Mulqueen, who lives on a farm in Co Limerick, went to Australia in January, leaving behind her family dog, Jessie, and her cat, Katie Taylor.

“The minute I started packing my suitcase, Jessie would sit in my door and watch me, with sad eyes. Driving away from the house, I felt so guilty.

“I really missed my dog, but in Australia I was staying with my cousin and she had a dog called Dingo, which I kind of used as a replacement.

“I took Dingo for walks, which helped, but I still Skype my dog, Jessie, regularly. She recognises my voice and when I call her name she looks around to see where I am.

“I also miss my cat, Katie Taylor; she had kittens while I was gone. They have all been given away, now, so I will never see them, but my sister showed them to me on Skype. What I miss most is their company and how they are always happy. I can’t wait to come home to see them.”

Olivia Tylicka, from Germany, moved to Ireland five years ago with her dad, leaving her miniature schnauzer with her mother.

“She was two years old when I left her and we were very close, I would walk her every day and feed her. She was very wild, constantly running around the house, always barking and biting everything. We would play ball. She was very good at fetch, and I taught her to give the paw.

“I was really attached to her. When I moved, I really missed her. I just felt empty; it was like leaving my best friend behind.

Olivia, who is studying at University College Cork, was at home in Kilkenny with her dad for the summer. He recently got an eight-month-old beagle, Fruzia, and Olivia spent the summer bonding with the puppy.

“I loved her from the beginning. She is such a happy, cheerful dog. She is young and stupid and she doesn’t understand stuff, but she is so cute. It’s like a new family member.

“Because it was the summer and I didn’t have much to do, I spent a lot of time with her. Beagles need lots of activity, so we would go for long walks every day. My favourite route was two hours long.

“I am really going to miss her, now that I am back at college; a dog is like having a friend, but at least I can Skype home and see her. A dog doesn’t judge you.

“It will be strange without her and I am worried she will forget all the tricks I taught her.

“I will be coming home every three weeks to see her, but it is a big change from all the time we spent together in the summer.”