By Valerie Castillo
THE ADVENTURES OF A PUPPY NAMED “HARRY POTTER” I came from a litter of five puppies, my parents didn’t have pedigree, my mother’s name was Gozalyn, she look like a curly cocker spaniel, she was black but she was old, so she had a lot of gray hair. I did Love to play with my brothers and sisters, we ate together, slept together and play together it was funny time. Our owner was Wendy, she really cares about us, she was nice and kind, she gave us our names about her favorite TV programs and movies such as: hey Arnold! Holiday, My best friend wedding, The lake house, and Harry Potter saga.
Our names were related some aspect or character from those movies or programs. My sister’s names were: Hermione and Helga G. Pataki, and my brothers Arnold and Ricky like Ricky Martin (Wendy’s favorite singer). She named to me Harry Potter. So one day, I woke up and I noticed that two of my sister were no longer in the box. So my first adventure started looking for them. I asked to my brothers but they are so confused like me, I looked for them in the yard, in the kitchen in everywhere but I didn’t find them, my mother looked sad but she didn’t say anything. Wendy followed me all day long, taking me out of all the places where I got in without permission, the puppies did not have access to the whole house, because we are curious and sometimes naughty XD, what happen with you today Harry? She said, so in the very next second she smiled and understood my behavior. Are you looking for your sisters? She asked. I just look her tender eyes and I licked her hand, that she was passing by my little head.
She explained to me that very soon a new family would adopt me just like my sisters, I cannot keep them all, she told me‌ I just put my ears down. Since that day I try to stay near of my mother, I behaved very well to be able to stay with her. One day in which just Arnold and I still in Wendy’s house, she decided to keep Arnold. and her sister Dana would adopt me. At the beginning I was sad, but I met my new family and I realized they could be nice and kind like Wendy did. I was so small, so she took me on a bus ride on her lap; we were going to visit Wendy from time to time, those visits were a gift for me, to play with Arnold again was amazing, we were always competing, he was taller than me, but I was the fastest, our mother always watched that we did not enter in the rooms even if the doors were open. Arnold died one day ... parvovirus Wendy said... That was the last time I saw my mother, I never came back to that house.
In my new house, I had a lot of space to play, and my new owner’s name is Dana, she has children, Justin, Valerie and Jeremy, they became to my new brothers, and Dana like my mom. The rules in this house are very different, without restrictions! although at the beginning I learn where to pipi and you know, the other stinky thing, in the back yard because Dana doesn’t allow me go outside. Because my neighbor dogs are bigger than me and she thought they could hurt me. And my brothers have to clean my fecal waste. I didn’t understand why they got mad at me, if I did it where they taught me the place to do it. aaaargg! human things!
My first bed was a box of sewing threads; I was very tiny. A short time later they surprised me with a larger wooden bed made especially for me. I was so happy, my family loved me. we did everything together my new brothers share their food with me, under the table of course. they taught me not to beg for food so I wait patiently my turn to eat. I was always a good boy. (yeah right)
HP
I used to like to take a bath; until one day when the children bathed in the back yard they grabbed me and I went to in a “huacal� with them, I was very scared, I swallowed water, I thought I would die but My owner Dana came to my rescue. She covered me with a towel and hugged me so nice that I stopped shaking. Although she scolds them very hard, but that was not the last time that I bathed with them. Since then when they tell me "Harry go to shower" I run away, hide or show my teeth as a sign of annoyance. I just let myself be bathed by the eldest son named Justin or by Dana. She is like the alpha of this pack; we all obey her. When she gets angry I hide behind my new brothers, when she gets mad at me for something that ruins, my brothers defend me, and when she scolds them, I get close to her moving my little tail, and I put my head on her to distract her and make her laugh so she forget the reason about she is mad. although not all the times it works.
I remember my first time with a collar, I hated that thing! It was very uncomfortable, my neck itch all the time. I tried to take off but Justin came to me with a chain and put the chain on my collar, after that, open the door. Holy dog! I can’t believe it!!! he went with me outside, I walked in front of him like a bigger dog, proud and confident, my fur gets puffed up. I feel free. It was really awesome. From that day on I begged to accompany them everywhere, when I heard money sounds, I knew that they would go to the store and I would go to the door and jump with happiness to be taken. I jumped so high that it reached the door panel. When they did not take me, I would bark and cry. I was waiting for them watching through the living room window.
I don’t like to be alone, I feel frustrated and always take some pillow with my mouth and I shake it strongly, sometimes it ruined it. I like to play with Teddy bear, belongs to Valerie but she always gets mad at me. when the family return to the house found that mess and the owner to the thing that I chose, complain with me. I always felt regrets but I did it every time they left me alone.
TEDDY
So when the days passed and I was a healthy stallion, I was in love with a little dog named "Dolly", she was a real cocker spaniel. Dolly was brown and lived near my house, I watched her pass from my window moving her tail and wow! what tail had that Dolly! I just thought someday baby! Jeremy was watching me and told me like whispering “she’s old for you little buddy”, but I don’t care. Eventually she broke my heart she prefers another dog, smaller than me named “Coquito” a fag name! so the life goes on. And I had a lot of girlfriends.
The most terrifying day of my life was an encounter with a pit bull, her name was “Tequila� she was crazy, she playing with stones and always she had that expression of smiling stupidly, so one day I went outside without permission and I found her, face to face, I wanted to sniff her to dissimulate my fear, but when she brings closer I was afraid and tried to run away, it was in vain, she reached out and grabbed my head, she began to squeeze me and I started screaming. Dana came to my rescue, but I saw her helpless, the pit bull was intimidating, I yelled at her, go away!!! but she kept advancing towards me, I tried to scape by myself to protect my owner but it was in vain, she did not let me go. When I was about to fainted suddenly I do not know where "Rodrigo" the owner of the pit-bull show up and took her by the ears and pull up her ... everyone was screaming, but finally she let me go. Dana lifted me off the ground and shouted at Rodrigo, I listening to her from afar ... When I woke up I was blindfolded and everyone was there, Dana and her children (my brothers) my body was still trembling but I know I was already safe. I got a scar on my head just like Harry Potter in the movie. What a coincidence! Cool!
I had a full life, full of love and care, later on, I had a wife named Xanty, she was beautiful and very smart, she was an English shepherd. She was white with beautiful eyes, she was bigger than me and very protective. I love when she chased to coquito, he ran as fast as if he was flying, you couldn’t see his legs, that’s so funny. she had a voracious appetite and she ate her food so fast and she comes to me kiss me and she ate my food too, but I love her. Dana notice that behavior and feed me alone in other room, the reason… she was pregnant. We had a litter of five puppies, four like her and the last one, like me. (so ugly the poor puppy) she was so protective with the puppies, she never allowed me stay with them. She was mad at me all the time. By the way the puppy like me had a German Name: Bergen that means Savage in English. I was a proud father. All of them found good homes and left Dana’s house at the same time, one day before sweet sixteen Party of Dana’s daughter “Valerie”
One day I saw Dana so sad, she was crying, her sister Wendy died about cancer, she was a generous person and has a great heart, Dana and Wendy were very close sisters, who supported each other. she was very brave but she left us in October 12TH, 2009 I stay with Dana all night long until she fell asleep from so much crying. She passed away but always will still in our hearts. We Love you Wendy
We still miss you Harry Potter 1998-2015 Â
I think I had a good life, I was very healthy, I never had an accident, I had a good Family that loved me so much, I was part of the family. I was a lucky dog too. My neighbor dogs died before than me. It was so sad. Because they were my friends. Bobby, Chiquita, Coquito, Dolly, Tequila and my beloved Xanty. There are more adventures to tell you but it will be next time.
I died when I was old by pneumonia, in the early hours of December 24, 2015. I was 17 years old. The pneumonia finished with me in two days, the veterinarian could not do anything for me, she slept me‌ When one of my Owners dies, I will be waiting for them to cross the river of blood (1). Always faithful to my heart, full of beautiful memories with my human family. (1) There is a myth in pre-Hispanic cultures, which says that when people die, they have to go through certain tests in order to reach their destination. One of these tests is to cross a river of blood, which you can only achieve with the help of a dog that accompanied you in life, but this dog will only help you cross the river if you were good with it in life.