Old dog, new trips

Keely Jukes, 37, is determined to show her Westie as many sights as she can

As my 13-year-old Westie, Lola, plodded along slowly behind me, struggling to keep up, I smiled to her. ‘Nearly home,’ I said apologetically, leading her towards our front door. It was early 2020, and Lola didn’t have the energy she’d once had.

I’d had her since she was a puppy, after my parents bought her for me as a Christmas gift. Always well behaved, she loved playing with her collection of sheep toys and having cuddles. Like many dog owners, I didn’t see Lola as a pet, and over the years she was treated more like my child.

I’d even thrown her themed birthday parties, including Paw Patrol and Toy Story, and invited my friends’ children to help her to celebrate. For her 10th birthday in 2017, I hired a bouncy castle and even Lola joined in for a bounce.

But now, aged 13, her legs tired easily, and I hated the thought of her living out the rest of her days stuck indoors. ‘I’m going to get her a pushchair,’ I told my parents, ordering one specifically for dogs online, in a leopard print design.

When it arrived the following week, I put Lola straight into the stroller and took her for a walk. She loved it – still feeling the wind in her fur, while saving her energy. And it got me thinking – now she had her own transport, there was no stopping us. COVID-19 restrictions limited us at times, of course, but, whenever I could, I’d show Lola as many sights as possible.