SUMMER JACOBS
A Parklands woman says she’s been given the best gift from the staff at her salon, and it’s not a new hairdo.
When Nicole Martin lost her beloved dog, Bella, last month she was devastated. Ms Martin has no children and is not married. Bella was the first dog that was her very own, and she loved the four-year-old poodle dearly.
“She came down with an illness where she had a hole in her stomach. We thought it was just an ulcer, but it turned out be a bigger problem. She was bleeding into her tummy. We took her to two different vets and even had a blood transfusion. It was a terrible time,” said Ms Martin.
When Bella died on Sunday February 21, Ms Martin went into mourning.
She told her hairstylist, Ursula Rodney, of her ordeal. Ms Martin has been going to the Table View salon for two-and-a-half years.
“Ursula was devastated for me, because she knows how much Bella meant to me. When I used to come into the salon, I would always talk about her,” she said.
When Ms Martin was ready to start looking for another puppy, she told the staff at the salon and they started their own search as well.
“I wasn’t really looking. I called the lady that I got Bella from, but she said I would have to wait a while.”
Ms Rodney said they had searched the internet for about four days before they found a suitable puppy.
She said the puppy “had to be female and had to be cheeky”. She eventually got one from a Robertson man who drove all the way to Milnerton to drop off the six-week-old poodle.
“I couldn’t take Nicole’s pain away, but I could help ease it,” said Ms Rodney
Ms Martin was told the day before about her gift and shown a picture.
“I couldn’t sleep that night. The next morning, I was waiting at the salon, and they got out of the car and out comes this little bundle.
“They put her in my arms, and I fell in love immediately. I couldn’t believe she was mine,” said Ms Martin.
Ms Martin named the champagne-coloured poodle Chloe, and the salon had a special collar made with her name and number.
Chloe lies content on her small, pink cushion while her owner gently strokes her back. Unaware that she is the topic of conversation, she slumbers as staff and customers ooh and aah over her.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude for what they have done for me,” beams Ms Martin.
