How I let a scruffy bundle of joy steal my heart
i hAVe every sympathy with tom Utley, who wrote about the dog that stole his heart in the pub (Mail). in the run-up to Christmas 2012, my husband insisted that all he wanted as a present was a Westie called hector. i set my children to work to source a male puppy near our home in oxfordshire who would be ready for collection during the festive season. We found hector at a kennel a few miles away and he was put into my delighted husband’s arms on Christmas eve. hector is now five years old, but he still thinks he is a puppy and has a basketful of toys that he leaves scattered around the house along with various half-chewed bones that we all stub our toes on. he certainly likes the sound of his own voice and if there is a squirrel or rabbit in the vicinity, he becomes hysterical with excitement. hector is grubby, requiring regular baths and pampering sessions at the local doggie parlour. he bosses our elderly labrador about and nicks his food when he isn’t looking. however, he is cheeky and adorable. Life without hector would be very dull and we wouldn’t be without his relentless affection and huge personality. Just seeing him running along behind me on our daily exercise routine lifts my heart. he is simply a scruffy bundle of joy. get a Westie, tom — you’ll never regret it!
REBECCA BELL, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon.