TOTALLY TRUE

I Need Help Outfoxing My Totem Animal Spirit

A tale of a determined dog, sleep deprivation and a Vetosaurus

Annie Trevaskis
4 min readMay 29, 2024

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A British red and white fox lying down in thegrass.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Did you know that the fox, as a totem animal spirit, belongs to those who understand that wisdom can be found in humour?

I didn’t, but it makes perfect sense now that I do.

I have always liked foxes. They are wise and make me laugh.

Lush green garden. Concrete stepping stones zig zag along a long stretch of grass, bordered by shrubs, trees and even a palm.
My London garden. Photo by me.

Fifteen years ago, when I lived in a London house with this garden attached, the foxes dug a big hole at the end of it. I had to fill it with concrete so our dog, Rizla, didn’t escape into my neighbour’s garden.

But I built the foxes a little platform so they could climb over the fence instead. Rizla was a Labrador who didn’t really do climbing. Problem solved.

An English garden with a willow tree, verdant grass and borders of shrubs. A curved path leads to a cute-looking summer house.
Our garden now. Photo by author.

But now we are in a house with this garden attached.

My current dog, Shen, can get through the same size hole as the foxes. And she is very good at…

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Annie Trevaskis
Annie Trevaskis

Written by Annie Trevaskis

I came, I wrote, I conquered. That last bit might not be true, but at least I am putting up a good fight.

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