Just after Christmas 2008 Olly was brought into our family. My partner, Kirsty and our three kids, Alex, Olivia and Lewis had been discussing for quite a while, well probably for several months about introducing a dog to the home. My reaction was a negative one to say the least.
I had a dog from the age of twelve until about nineteen and can remember the excitement at walking the dog, taking him to the park and playing with him. But then I wanted to go out with my friends and do my own thing. That was when 'Jet' started to get 'in the way' and I didn't think dogs were a big deal after all. Unfortunately for my dad and grandad it became another job for them to do.
Now that's where my thoughts were when as a dad myself and the kids being excited about having a dog came into play. I didn't want a dog that would become my total responsibility, where the kids love to play with him then get bored and pass him over to me and my partner. So we all discussed the responsibility and the pros and cons of giving a dog a home. We all came to an agreement that the kids would share walking the dog when not at school and my partner would look after him during the day.
It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, just after Christmas and the advert on the T.V. stating "dogs are for life, not just Christmas". It was a statement from the people who take in dogs and have to look after these unwanted pets before they either find a home for them or have to make the decision to put them to rest.
We all got around the P.C. to search for our local 'dogs home' and decided on one in particular, about five miles from our home. So hurredly we got into the car knowing we had only two hours in total to get there, look at some dogs, maybe choose one and check what was needed (money wise and dog wise) then get to the shops to buy what was needed before the dogs arrival, maybe later in the week.
We arrived about two thirty Sunday afternoon, after losing our way for about twenty minutes, to find we had only until four o'clock to look at all the poor barking, cowering, some scruffy and not so scruffy dogs. We were taken to what I would describe as a compound where dogs were segregated into four or five per compound, about 15 feet square, In all there was at least twenty compounds. We looked at all the dogs, and one fitted our family like a glove.
He is a cross collie, good with children and cats and his name is Olly the dog handler informed us. How old? Just eighteen months old we were told. Black, tan and white markings, he certainly is a good looking dog. We took him out on a lead up and down the courtyard, he bounced with joy, the kids and my partner fell in love with him, I was happy for them all, Olly included.
He needs injections and a chip fitted the handler informed us. O.K. what day can we collect him? I asked. No need to come back you can take him today. We all looked at each other in disbelief, a happy one though.
One injection, a microchip, dog collar, dog lead, dog toy, dog bowl, dog food and Olly later we were all in the people carrier on our way home to meet up with our three cats and that's another story.
