Evidently a dog isn't actually for life, and it seems isn't even for christmas, in the case of "lola" (provisional name), a rather raggedy looking (but very hyper and incredibly affectionate) wiry haired dog of unknown (and highly suspect) genetic provenance, who it seems had the bad fortune (for her, and probably for her owners) to find herself wandering the streets of a small town in Tameside, Greater Manchester - a county not known for its balmy californian summers - at the arse end of November.
Fortunately for her, she was taken in by a family of lovely dog lovers, but after a week of trying to find the original (and when this failed, some new) owners, my sister and I ended up going along to Tameside to have a look. My sis, it turns out, had been after a dog for ages. So off we all went.
Wow. I've never ever seen a dog so incredibly hyper as this one. Licking everyone, jumping up a good few feet off the ground, wagging her tail so hard that any fleas she might have had, had since been embedded in the walls like darts, and, actually genuinely chasing her tail - I thought this was something dogs only did in cartoons, but no, round and round and round she went.
After a few minutes, it was apparent that we were going to be returning back to Sheffield with the dog, and five minutes after that, we were driving around Tameside with said doggie sitting in my nephew's lap, looking through the window and watching the world go by.
So that's it really, I had said that I "don't like mutts" (as opposed to nice pedigrees like my old rottweiler or my boxer) but then I said the same about kids before my nephew was born and the same about cats before my sister's pair insinuated themselves into our lives.
I have to admit, the dog and I seem to have taken to each other, at least to a degree, I sat with her in my lap on the way back, cradling her so that she wouldn't jump down under the pedals or onto the handbrake or whatever (I wasn't the driver). I'd noticed after a while that she had calmed down, and actually felt rather heavy in my arms.
Thinking to myself that it would just be so in keeping with the past few months to end up cradling a deceased dog, I had a quick check, to find that after only having first met me 40 minutes earlier, she apparently felt comfortable enough to drift off to sleep in my arms.
An incredibly docile and friendly dog indeed!
We got back, introduced her to everyone, and then went out for a nice little walk with the dog.
So out we were, in the freezing cold dark evening, me, my nephew, my sis and her dog, and we were out for a nice 25ish minutes, wandering around, looking at christmas lights.
Which brings me back to Christmas. There are a surprising number of people putting their decorations up already, which is cool, as it brightens the place up (pun not intended) and adds a seasonal air to the place, which can only be a good thing.
Apparently we're due to pur our own decorations up tomorrow, which going on past experience translates roughly into "I'll do the tree, then sit watching TV while you do everything else".
Okay so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it seems that apart from the outside lights (which only go up when we have them, which isn't very often) which are put up by my dad, my mum and I do the majority of the Christmas decorating ourselves, with me doing more than my fair share of that.
But hey who cares, it needs to get done and it's nice to do it. Really puts me in the christmas mood. And now that I have employment, of sorts, I can finally get into the Christmas spirit, without worrying - too much - about money anymore.
In all the excitement what with the new dog, and the decorations and everything, one thing I have made the small effort to bear in mind is the fate of/effect on the previous owners of Lola. I have already expressed my opinion that, as cold as it sounds, I hope she was dumped, rather than simply ran off. Why would I say such a cruel thing?
Because she is a hyperactive, very sociable, very trusting, funny, and downright lovable dog, and I wouldn'y wish the accidental loss of a beloved family pet - particularly one with a temperament as lovely as Lola's - on anyone, especially not at this time of year. My sis will be taking the dog to be scanned for an ID chip, and I guess that if she is chipped, her return to her loving owners would be the best Christmas present they could ever hope for. If she isn't, then there's nothing else that can be done, though I'm sure we are all already on our way to becoming her new family, and it seems that Lola - for no one knows her "real" name, has taken to us just as much as we have taken to her. She even went to sleep in my bedroom earlier.
See you soon!
Oh, and here's the doggie! :).
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