What's love got to do with it?

This is a picture of Léda and this is her story. She only had a few more years to live when she was adopted by Mme Buttercup. Since birth Léda had been subjected to animal experimentation. After 4 years she was not longer useful to science and was dumped in an animal shelter.
Mme Buttercup wanted to adopt another collie because hers, called Dame Peluche, was lonely and was in desperate need of company. She saw Léda and this is what Mme Buttercup felt when she saw her: « C’est la tristesse de ton regard qui m’a accrochée aussitôt que je t’ai vue, recroquevillée au fond de ta cage de refuge ; tu ne réagissais à rien, un mot gentil, un bonbon, une caresse, tu étais indifférente et semblais appeler la mort comme une délivrance ». She took her home. Léda was petrified of Mme Buttercup and of all humans and other animals but took to Dame Peluche and to the cats in the household straightaway. The vet was asked to come and look at her. He said she had scabies and was alcoholic – alcohol had been forced down here. He did not think that was serious at all. What worried him more was that she was depressed and that she had lost every interest in life, that she had given up and that she would not have long to live. Three to four years maximum, he thought.
Léda would not let Mme Buttercup come anywhere near her but she would follow Dame Peluche in the garden where she would hide under the bushes. She would start playing with Dame Peluche. One day Léda came to Mme Buttercup’s bedroom and sniffed her hand but as soon as she made a move Léda fled. Her bowl had to be put out of sight; she would not eat if Mme Buttercup or anybody else was around. She fled when friends came to the house. She got stronger and stronger and with renewed confidence she decided to go and explore. After Mme Buttercup had left for work in the mornings, she would jump over the fence and gallivant in the village. She always timed it so that she got back before Mme Buttercup returned. Ten years later she started welcoming guests when they came to visit. She started to accept treats that Mme Buttercup would give her. She was finally after so many years getting better until Dame Peluche suddenly died. She would not eat, she would howl all day and all night long. So Mme Buttercup visited the shelter again and found Wotan, a young 13 month collie male.
Léda came back to life. She provoked and teased him and he got into trouble. He thought her some good tricks which she was happy to perform and he still got into trouble. So Mme Buttercup decided Wotan needed to go to training classes. That’s where I met Mme Buttercup. Then another rescue dog, Duduche, a long haired Alsatian, joined the household. It was love at first sight and it was between Duduche’s paws that Léda expired on 30th April aged 18.