An Inverness taxi driver has found herself a new driving companion in the form of her chihuahua, Benji.
Michelle Chesterfield, a driver for Inverness Taxis, is now taking her 14-year-old dog along with her to work following the death of two of her three pets.
Both Michelle and Benji were left devastated when chihuahua’s Tootie and Minnie died just weeks apart from silent heart disease.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, Michelle said: “Benji has got heart disease and he’s been on medication for about eight months now, but the other two didn’t have any signs of it.
“One morning Tootie started coughing. I took her to the vet and she died, and then within two to three weeks Minnie had the same.
“Minnie was the same weight as a wee bag of sugar. She was tiny, around 1.8kg.”
Inverness taxi driver would constantly worry at work
Benji – who suffers from separation anxiety – was particularly left distressed.
The pooch would not eat until his owner returned home, and is also taking four medications three times a day to prolong his life.
To prevent making numerous trips home each day, and to avoid being constantly worried while at work, Michelle approached Inverness Taxis and Highland Council to obtain approval to take Benji to work.
“Every time I went to go out the door in the morning, he would run to the door and start crying,” she said.
“I thought, ‘I can’t leave him’ so that’s when I applied.”
To her amazement, the council came back within days giving her the green light.
Michelle says she is delighted to have Benji by her side in his final days.
“I can’t believe it,” Michelle said.
“I knew my work would let me because Gavin from Inverness Taxis is a good boss. All the team in the office are so nice.
“I’m probably the only taxi driver in Scotland that has got a dog. I’ve never heard of it before.
“Now we can go for a walk on the islands and potter about, and he’s now eating more.”
Inverness customers love paw-some passenger
Inverness Taxis announced on its Facebook page that Michelle would now be taking Benji along for rides, with customers saying they thought it was a brilliant move.
Michelle also said that she spoke to her regular customers to update them on her plans, and that they were all very supportive.
She says she is “overwhelmed” by the reaction.
“I’m so happy and overwhelmed with everybody’s lovely comments. If anybody wants to see Benji, they can book with Inverness Taxis,” she added.
“A few people have said to me they will phone and ask for me again because they want to see Benji. The kids adore him and he just loves everybody.
“I’m just glad that I’ve got the opportunity to take him with me and have his last days with me. He could go next month or in six months – you just don’t know how long he’s got.
“He loves people and he loves the car. He just loves being with me all the time.
“He’s a sweet little boy.”
