AN UNUSUAL PET Guinness was probably the most gorgeous pup you had ever seen. When he first came to stay with Kathy and James he was only six weeks old and they had chosen him specially from a litter of pups in a nearby pet shop. They brought Guinness home in a little basket and placed him in his new room which had been carefully prepared for the pup. He had toys, a soft cuddly bed and a litter tray. He had fun running around in the large room with the new vinyl floor and no furniture to get in his way. Plenty of space to grow up in ..... or so his new owners thought! The first few weeks were such fun, both for Kathy and James and the little pup. His coat was like silver velvet and his eyes gradually turned from bright blue to a delicious mauve colour.
James Marsden in "Enchanted"
James Bond Island
English: Guinness for strenghtHe not only looked gorgeous, but he felt so smooth and silky to touch. He squealed with delight and rolled over onto his tummy whenever Kathy made to stroke him When they eventually took him out for walks, people they didn't know would come over to speak, but if truth be told, they couldn't resist stroking Guinness and they wanted to know all about him. He was a very unusual breed, a Weirmerand, and most people had never seen a dog quite like him before.
It didn't take long for Guinness to outgrow the cuddly dog bed which James had chosen in the pet shop. "I think we'll need to get a bigger bed ," said Kathy one day. "He flops out of this one and doesn't look very comfortable." So James went off to the pet shop to choose another.
When they now took him out for walks, the children who had at first been desperate to come over and pat him, looked a little scared when he walked by. He had now grown as tall as any six year old. Karen realised just how much he had grown when she discovered that now he was flopping out of his second bed! "James, we'll have to get ANOTHER bed from the pet shop. This one has again become too small." But James came back empty-handed. "They don't make a bed larger than the one we have. The owner of the shop is amazed at how quickly Guinness has grown. I'll just have to make one myself." He explained So he set to work with hammer and nails and an old mattress. The bed took up so much space in his room! But soon that too became small for him and Guinness flopped over the sides and dangled off the ends. Kathy was a little worried to say the least. The book they had bought on how to care for Weimerands didn't mention anything about looking after a 'giant' dog! It now took both Kathy and James to hold onto his lead when they went out for walks, and NO ONE came near. He was almost as tall as a grown-up! But he still had a lovely nature, and despite his size, he certainly wasn't aggressive. He still had a silver velcro coat and adorable eyes. Kathy loved him to bits, but she was sad to see so many people running away when they saw Guinness approaching. Nobody came to visit them any more. The whole area had heard about the 'unusual' pet at No. 42. He was famous, but for all the wrong reasons.
The owner of the pet shop was the only one who was sympathetic. He knew that Guinness was really a 'Gentle Giant' and wouldn't hurt a fly. He felt sorry for Kathy and James and sad for Guinness's plight. Then one day, the dog's name gave him an idea. He made a phone call and waited......
It didn't take long for the phone call to take effect. A few days later, Kathy and James had a visit from some people in the 'Media'. They had come to make a documentary about Guinness and before long the entire Nation were watching this most unusual dog on television. At the end of the programme it was announced that this dog, this very special dog, was going to be in the GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS.
Now that Guinness was famous, and had stopped growing, people came from far and wide to visit. They all loved him and the children were no longer afraid. Kathy was so proud of her 'unusual' pet and by the time that this story finishes a new one is about to begin. Why? Well, Guinness has just landed a contract to star in a movie. Maybe you could help the script writers and come up with some ideas for a plot........and a title! Sept. 5th. 2001 803 words
James Ball of Canada (left) winning a silver medal...
Guinness Brewery
James Marsden in "Enchanted"