Little Norit

If you're not ready to welcome a pet as a true member of your household, for better or worse, and for the entirety of its life, do us all a favour: let the child forget about wanting a puppy by playing on the PlayStation instead, writes columnist Ignacio Lillo

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Friday, 10 January 2025, 14:53

Christmas is over, and in many homes there will now be one more member. Most likely, a tiny, adorable, four-legged creature. The lucky ones, ... who will be the majority, will have found a family. But for too many, they will only be an unfortunate whim of spoiled children and irresponsible parents - parents who compensate for their absence, lack of time and neglect of education and play with gifts. They'll blame work, and I'd add, though I won't elaborate today, other reasons too.

The reality is that all those irresistible little furballs will grow up, and within a few months, they'll become adult animals that need to be fed, trained, taken out at least three times a day - whether it rains or the sun blazes - and taken to the vet, which isn't cheap.

When the magic fades and routine sets in, those once-coveted pets, often of trendy breeds, bought with pedigrees and at exorbitant prices, will end up in cold kennels, sharing space with countless others. Terrified, they'll look around, unable to understand what's happening to them.

Norit was one of those "toys," as Espe, his caretaker when we travelled, used to call him. A purebred poodle first registered under the ridiculous name of Bolita (little ball), he had been a Christmas or birthday gift for some child. His "family" surrendered him to the animal protection shelter, claiming he bit people.

The poor thing hardly did anything, given the state of mental imbalance he was in.

At the shelter, they renamed him Norit because he resembled the little lamb on the detergent label. When we adopted him, we gave the name a local twist: Nori.

That little white Bolita had been abused for a long time. Sometimes, he spent entire days hiding under the bathroom cabinet, and yes, I did get bitten a few times because he'd panic for no apparent reason. He wasn't trained, either, and I was always concerned about his instinct to protect women from men... I dread to imagine what he'd endured in the past.

With infinite patience and love, Nori adapted to his new home, and we adapted to him. With my wife, Olga, there was mutual devotion, and though he still occasionally had his quirks and moments of confusion, we learned to love and respect one another - just like any family does, with all our imperfections.

So, if you're not ready to welcome a pet as a true member of your household, for better or worse, and for the entirety of its life, do us all a favour: let the child forget about wanting a puppy by playing on the PlayStation instead.

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