Red Dog.

I'm dedicating this post to my beautiful, daft and utterly adorable Ginger Dog. We found him at Battersea Dogs Home four years ago this September. We had been thinking about getting a Dog for ages, and I would personally rather rehome an unwanted or abandoned animal than buy a puppy. I had previously wanted a Rhodesian Ridgeback, handsome, majestic Dogs that they are. Red, with a dark muzzle. Huge. They are also about nine hundred quid to buy as puppies and rarely come up for rescue. Scrap that plan then.

So, we turned up at Battersea one Tuesday morning. I was taking my time, looking at every single Dog and breaking my heart along the way. Mr Nudie excitedly beckoned me over to a kennel on the opposite side of the corridor 'Come here, NOW'. I went over to see what he was so excited about. This is what I saw. A puppy, Red, with a dark muzzle......

This is Ginger Dog. Not his real name of course, but a name we have come to call him on account of his erm, Gingerness. He is a Red Staffordshire Bull Terrier and is quite the daftest, most affectionate creature I have ever come across. He is also the most handsome Dog I have ever seen, and someone didn't want him.

Ginger Dog was found as a stray. We know nothing of his history, but I suspect he skipped through the streets of South London jumping up at random strangers saying 'Love me! Love me!' with his big brown eyes until someone took pity on him and he was taken to a Police station. They took him to Battersea and we found him. The rest is history.

He is a simple creature. His preferences, in no particular order are; eating, sleeping, cuddling, eating, sleeping, woofing at monsters in the garden, eating, sleeping, cuddling. Oh, and boy does this Dog stink. The smells that eminate from his bottom at times are like nothing on this earth. But I love him. He's my beautiful, stinky Red Dog.

This post was written for Tara Cains Gallery. This weeks prompt is A Novel Idea- find a photograph that represents a favourite book and write about it. I am a huge fan of Louis de Bernieres. This book is about a loveable, stray, stinky Red Dog just like mine. I would have photographed the actual book, but he ate it. I shit you not...............