Fiona Harrison - A Pug Like Percy - A heartwarming tale for the whole family

FIONA HARRISONhas been a freelance journalist, writing for a wealth of publications including the Sunday Mirror , Daily Express , Prima , Woman and Grazia for several years. Originally from Cornwall by way of Bath, this is her first novel. She lives in Berkshire with her husband and when she is not writing can usually be found devouring other people’s novels.

For Chris, the only human version of Percy I know

Cover

About the Author FIONA HARRISON has been a freelance journalist, writing for a wealth of publications including the Sunday Mirror , Daily Express , Prima , Woman and Grazia for several years. Originally from Cornwall by way of Bath, this is her first novel. She lives in Berkshire with her husband and when she is not writing can usually be found devouring other people’s novels.

Title Page

Dedication For Chris, the only human version of Percy I know

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Extract

Acknowledgements

Copyright

My eyelids felt heavy, and the pull of sleep prevented me from opening them, despite the early morning autumn sunshine streaming through the windows. Instead, I snuggled deeper into the blue cashmere blanket my owner Javier had bought for me. I screwed my eyes tight, happy to enjoy a few more minutes in bed with the blanket I loved, and wriggled around until I was comfortable. Yet no matter how hard I tried to return to the land of nod, something felt wrong.

Blinking my eyes open with renewed determination, I scrambled onto all four of my paws and looked around. With a start I realised the room I found myself in was completely unfamiliar. Where was the sofa I liked to nap on? The television I liked to watch Tom and Jerry on? The glass coffee table I always ran into, and the thick multicoloured rug I liked to roll around on? Why was I not at home?

My heart pounded with fear as I glanced over each of my shoulders to find I was alone in a small room, containing my bed and an old basket of toys, while on the other side stood an old easy chair. My food and water bowls were near the door and an old sheepskin rug lay on the floor. Hearing the sound of feet scuffling outside the room, I turned my head and peered through a large Perspex window that looked out onto a busy corridor and saw it was teeming with excited dogs and humans in green uniforms.

All too quickly, the memories flooded back as fast as a speeding greyhound and my entire body trembled as I realised I was as far away from home as it was possible to be. I remembered only too vividly that I had been dumped in a dog shelter by Javier but had no idea why. Was it because I had been bad? Did Javier no longer love me? Was I mean to another dog? Or worse, had I committed the ultimate dog sin and bitten a human for no apparent reason?

Filled with despair, I slumped back onto my bed, flung my paws over my eyes and tried to understand why Javier had left me here to rot like so many other good dogs before me. I knew the tails of the forgotten, which was what we in the dog community called dog shelters like this one, was for hounds that were unwanted. It was the home for waifs, strays and the unlovable. Was that me now? Was I unlovable? I had adored my owner Javier, and I thought he loved me too. We had been together for three years, since I was a small pup, and I had been incredibly happy. I thought he was too. What had happened to make him fall out of love with me? I let out a howl of despair. I would do anything to turn the clock back and undo whatever it was I had done to make Javier leave me in this place. I loved him, he was my owner, my entire world and, quite simply, I would die for him.

I felt a fresh wave of horror as I realised that now Javier had left me here I would never see him again. The thought of a life without my precious owner and best friend, as I came to think of him, was terrible. As the image of his handsome, Brazilian face appeared in my mind, I howled. I loved him, I missed him, and a life without him was unthinkable.

I thought back to my behaviour over the past few days and weeks and was unable to pinpoint anything I had done that was particularly naughty. In fact, I thought I had been good, ensuring I refrained from sitting on Javier’s girlfriend, Gabriella’s clothes, not making a loud noise when I chewed my kibble or bothering either one of them for too many walks to the park.

I howled again and suddenly heard the door to the room open, and footsteps pad gently towards me. I could tell from the scent of whoever it was that a human had entered. But who they were or what they wanted held no interest for me. I wanted to remain here, with my paws flung over my eyes for ever and nothing anybody could say or do would change my mind. As the human reached my side, I became aware of them bending down, their jean-clad knees brushing against the side of my face. There was a pause, and then I felt soft fingers, which had to be a woman’s, run over my head and along my back.

‘How are you feeling today, Percy?’ she asked gently.

‘Horrible,’ I yelped, paws still clamped over my eyes.

‘I’m not surprised,’ she said gently, ‘you’ve had a terrible thing happen to you. It’s bound to be a shock, but I’m here to help you cope with it all, I promise.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ I woofed again. ‘There’s nothing you can say or do that will make any of this better. My owner doesn’t love me any more and I miss him. I will never be loved ever again.’

‘Oh Percy,’ the woman sighed, ‘I promise, you will be loved again. And we will make sure of it. My name is Kelly, you may not remember, but I checked you over when you were dropped off last night by your old owner.’

‘I remember,’ I whined quietly.

‘Now, I’m going to make it my own personal mission to ensure I find you the very best family to take care of you. People, who will love you for ever and ever,’ Kelly said gently.

It was unusual to find a human who understood what we dogs were trying to communicate with our barks, but Kelly, unlike Javier or Gabriella, had understood straight away. There was something about this woman’s voice I found soothing, and I prised my paws from my eyes to get a better look at her. She had a warm, open face, and was small, with a button nose and strands of grey hair intertwined with her blonde mane. Kelly was smiling down at me and I sensed she had an air of someone who had seen and done it all. Just being around her made me feel relaxed.

She continued to stroke my soft fur, and bent her face close to mine. ‘You won’t have to wait long for a home, Percy. Everyone loves pugs, you’ll see.’