Written by Isabella Schoombee

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! They’re back and they have a Christmas tree with them! I immediately dashed over to the door of my house, wagging my tail violently and dragging the hall rug along with me as I went. I could barely contain my breath, I was panting so hard, whilst watching my human Molly and her fiancé Craig struggle to drag inside a giant Christmas tree.

They had only been gone for half the afternoon, but to me, it felt like days before their return. However, knowing what they had been up to made the wait well worth it because it meant that the Christmas holidays have finally begun. This was fantastic news to my floppy ears. My day had already been an eventful one and now it looked like it would continue to be so. Earlier that morning had been my yearly check-up at the Hillcrest Vets. I had a fun time, because everybody there adores me and made the whole process of injections and medicating as stress-free as possible.

My first ever vet visit was a dramatic one. Last Christmas Eve, Molly and Craig hosted a wonderful feast at their home, where the whole family was invited and towers of delicious smelling food covered the table from head to toe. With my powerful sense of smell and great skill I managed to find where the dessert had been set up, on a low set table in the kitchen.  Astonished at my luck, I jumped on my hind legs and knocked the dessert off the table, where I then proceeded to eat every last drop of what was gooey chocolate pudding.

Predictably, my luck was short lived because very soon after that I became horrifically sick. When Molly saw me whimpering next to the empty pudding bowl, covered in chocolate sauce, she had me rushed to the vet. Thankfully, Hillcrest Vets is open for all hours of the day, every day, otherwise I may not have survived my first Christmas. I was terrified on the trip there, because my enemy Molly’s cat, Sparkles, tricked me into thinking that the vet was just a place filled with cold, dark rooms where people dressed in white would poke pets with sharp metal sticks for fun. I was too sick to put up a good fight to stop Molly from taking me there, so all I could do was whine and plead with her to spare me. However, I eventually learnt, on arriving at Hillcrest Vets, that everything Sparkles had told me was a lie. The rooms were welcoming and warm and the staff even more so. They saved my life and now I love the visit.

There is a lovely nurse there, called Sr Kat, who definitely doesn’t resemble a cat as she is much nicer than Sparkles ever could be. She gives me these magic shots that protect me from nasty things like rabies, distemper, and parvovirus. It’s like having my own force field against those scary illnesses. What’s more is she also gives me this cool tick and flea medication, that finally got my itching and scratching to stop, after chasing those pesky critters away. Oh, and let’s not forget my favourite part, the tummy cleanse, which I get from the deworming. I tell all my friends that they should never be afraid when their human decides to take them to the vet and I’m telling you too now, because each time I leave, I feel happier and healthier than I did before. That is why it is especially perfect that my vet appointment occurred on a day like today, because I am buzzing and zooming around from all the energy, making me the perfect helper to set up the tree!

Gosh, how I love Christmas! It was almost exactly one year ago when Molly saved me from the rescue centre as a scared little puppy and brought me to a home covered with flashing, golden lights and filled with red and green decorations. Not only did I finally have a home that sheltered me from the cold and dark outdoors, but I was welcomed during a time when visitors, who were always dropping by, introduced me to the tender-hearted belly tickle.

This year, the Christmas tree was a lot larger than the one from last year, and it seemed like Molly might collapse under its weight, even as Craig gripped a hold of its branches with all his strength. I stood a few meters to the side of them, wagging my tail to show my support. Suddenly, Molly came crashing to the ground, the tree and Craig along with her. The silly hall rug, that had followed me earlier to the door, had got in her way too!

I loved the Christmas tree, but it had always been somewhat of a mystery to me. I couldn’t understand why they would bring a tree into the house in the first place. Don’t trees belong in the garden? For a long time, I attempted to figure this out. I even tried to ask Sparkles, but, of course, she despises me and refused to tell.

It began making more sense to me when I learned about what they put on the Christmas tree. Ornaments of all different characters with beautiful shapes, colours, and sizes hung in Molly’s tree among hundreds of little light bulbs. This made the tree truly magical to me. Even better, these ornaments were such fun to play with. They were, in fact, my very first friends when I arrived at my new home, and I had been waiting all year to see them again. Molly did not approve of these friendships and reprimanded me each time I used to reach up and grab a jumping reindeer or jolly little snowman so that we could play together. This made me sad as I did not want to disappoint Molly, but I also loved my little friends… I just couldn’t help myself!! To solve this problem, we’d play together in secret hiding spots around the house, away from Molly’s spying eyes. This year would certainly have to be the same.

Molly and Craig had eventually managed to get the tree upright in the corner of the living room, and Craig was already bringing out the boxes of ornaments. I ran excitedly between his legs as he carried it, making sure my box was transported safely to the tree. Molly began to giggle as she saw me do this and said to Craig, “We are going to have to hang the ornaments slightly higher on the tree this time, after Scout scattered them all over the house last year! Remember how many chewed-up Rudolph’s I had to replace?”

Craig laughed as he placed the box on the floor. I tapped the lid of the box urgently with my paws to express my eagerness to be reunited with my friends. Molly and Craig looked at each other exasperated, and Craig shrugged, “I don’t think anything is going to keep Scout from messing about with his favourite toys. You know how much he loved last Christmas.” Of this, Craig was most certainly right. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from springing myself into a whole heap of fun this Christmas and it was only just beginning…