Mick Clifford: For the love of dog on Father's Day

Me and my late father's dog weren't exactly each other's biggest fans. Yet now I find myself walking in my father's footsteps with Holly's successor, Skellig — and yes, he has his own blue blanket

'I was seven when my father killed the dog. I was in the back seat of the family Hillman Hunter... A cocker spaniel came out a driveway unseen and ran straight in front of the car...' Picture: iStock

I was seven when my father killed the dog. I was in the back seat of the family Hillman Hunter and we were heading into town. A cocker spaniel came out a driveway unseen and ran straight in front of the car.

The dog was badly injured but alive. My father, John, went into the house from where the rusty blur had emerged. A boy I recognised from school came out, distressed, to see what had become of their pet. His mother scooped up the injured animal and brought him back inside.