Jenni Murray revisted

A Dog's Life with Anna Webb

As part of our Summer ‘revival’ replaying some key episodes from A Dog’s Life’s archives, we’re joined by the Broadcasting legend that is Jenni Murray talking about her love of dogs. From her first Corgi cross called Taffy, to her two Miniature Schnauzers called William and Mary. After Jenni battled cancer, she persuaded her husband to accept her first Chihuahua named Butch, latterly joined by two more little Chihuahuas Frieda and Madge. At the time of recording in Jenni’s garden Butch was almost 16 and Jenni shares the journey with Butch as her rock through a particularly difficult time. We discuss the impact of dogs and the irony they’re defined as Man’s Best Friend when in fact history concurs that women played the main role through the domestication process. We chat about the inevitable and the harsh reality that dogs simply don’t live long enough, underlining the fact that dogs define chapters in our lives. We chat about the responsibility a dog is and the commitment that dogs are that so many people have sadly underestimated through the pandemic boom in ownership, to whats considered a crisis with rescue centres overflowing with unwanted pooches. We talk about vet bills and postulate that vets could be biting the hands that feeds them, which is interesting considering the current CMA investigation! We postulate about the origin of the Chihuahua down to the fact that both Caravaggio and Botticelli painted dogs that look very like a Chihuahua long before Columbus discovered America. We chat about the extreme discussion about dogs and cats being demonised as contributing to climate change by extreme environmentalists. We celebrate dogs and their huge impact on our lives. Sadly since this recording little Butch has passed, but his legacy will live on!

You can order Jenni's book here

And listen to her new podcast here

For more about Anna visit her website

Theme music and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People Productions

Cover art by Jaijo Design

Cover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd of Gruff Pawtraits