#300GoodDeeds - Day One. A no-brainer.

The first of our #300GoodDeeds was to support a cause very close to our hearts.

We donated to Pets At Home's Christmas Appeal.

When we got Orlando four years ago, we were undecided between him and his brother. Orlando was chunky, even at two weeks old, the biggest of the litter. He was also noisy, although at two weeks, puppies being noisy just means lots of squeaking! His brother was much smaller, with an all brown face (Orlando has the stereotypical spaniel stripe down his nose), and was quiet. I wanted the noisy, chunky one and, when other people are already undecided, I can be very persuasive.

Orlando's first Christmas with us.
He was four months old and took it all in his stride!

One of our favourite topics of conversation is wondering what Orlando would have been like if he had gone to a different household. We always assume he would have been quieter, and that he would probably have learnt some time ago that he isn't actually a lapdog.

Orlando today - now four years old -
looking unimpressed and adorable in his Christmas onesie.

We don't often think about another alternative - that he could have found himself neglected or in a rehoming centre. The Dogs Trust first coined the phrase "A Dog Is For Life , Not Just For Christmas" nearly four decades ago, but some people just haven't got the message. 

Animals are very likely to be abandoned during the festive season. They are trusting, hopeful, and always desperate to see the best in even those who abandon or neglect them. So paying for a Christmas Dinner or two for them seems like a no-brainer.

- J. x