Michel Blumer writes a remarkable book about her love for dogs: “I’m glad I’m still here” (Ostend)

With her recently published, not exactly everyday book ‘With 13 in bed’, 82-year-old Michèle Blumer takes the reader into her world of unconditional love for dogs and her not always conventional fight against animal suffering. And that passion sometimes got her into trouble, she says.

Michèle Blumer may be of a blessed age, but the courageous lady still has something rebellious in her. Many residents of Ostend remember her all too well as the woman from ‘Het Blauw Kruis’ and her bike rides in the city with a whole bunch of dogs on a leash. Years ago she started writing down her experiences and they are now published in her book ‘With 13 in bed’, an impressive and sometimes hilarious series of anecdotes. That’s why the book is so easy to read. “I did indeed receive a lot of comments at the time about my love for dogs and the way I expressed it, but I never took any notice of it,” Michèle says firmly. “Some thought I was crazy, others gave me the thumbs up. Together with some passionate volunteers, I ran the local animal shelter before the turn of the century, but unfortunately that came to an end in the year 2000 due to what you might call a hostile takeover, something we did not see coming,” says Michèle.

On the bike and with the dogs on a leash: Michèle attracted a lot of attentionJambers

With 13 in bed’ was recently published independently and is for sale in the Ostend independent bookstores Corman and De Witte Zee. “Find a publisher today,” Michèle continues. “But that book had been ready for years. I had already written the vast majority of it twenty years ago. I find it nice to have my numerous memories at hand in this way and to be able to share them. No tips on how to handle a dog, but really my experiences with the four-legged friends over the years. It contains hilarious stories, such as Paul Jambers’ request to participate in his television program ‘Extreme Animal Love’. By the way, that title was perfect for me. I’ve also done crazy things like taking in homeless people with a sick dog out of pity. In one specific case this did not work out for me. The man was a schizophrenic and I’m lucky I’m still here. But my love for our four-legged friends has never diminished, on the contrary,” concludes Michèle Blumer.

All proceeds from the book will go to the ‘Sasha’ animal shelter in Serbia.