Two adorable cockapoos in matching Christmas jumpers have won our festive competition.
We launched #MyFestiveMoment Competition to get residents sharing what this season means to them.
Julie Turnbull is one of the winners sharing her favourite festive moment of her two cockapoos, Flo and Lily, joined by their doggy friends on a Christmas dog walk.
Every year Julie and her friends enjoy a festive scenic stroll in Street, Somerset, and they get together around Christmas to dress their dogs in Christmas jumpers to get into the festive spirit.
Our resident, Julie Turnbull, said: “It's something we started a few years ago, with me and my dog walking friends, we just thought, people do the Christmas jumper day at work and at schools, and so we said, shall we do it for the dogs? And everyone said ‘Yeah, why not?’
“So we always choose the coldest day near to Christmas, so they don't get too hot. And the dogs love it!”
“They don't notice any difference. They're running through water and chasing balls. It's just a lovely way to feel all Christmassy, and include the dogs in it. And that photo showed my two cockapoos with all their dog friends.”
“The one in the middle, she's a Romanian rescue that my friend adopted. The collies like to run on ahead, whereas she's a lot slower. My girls are quite happy just having a sniffy walk, so quite often I end up with her as my third dog.”
Now in its fourth year after the festive walk was born during lockdown times, the walking friends look forward to getting outside and bringing their dogs together.
Along with Flo and Lily, there are usually seven or eight dogs on the walk, so capturing them for a photo can be tricky. Julie plans to make some dog treats in her new air fryer, which she won in the competition.
Julie said: “I can’t believe I’ve won, so thank you. I saw something online the other day where you can make gingerbread for dogs, so I might have to give that a go. I’m not sure you can do it in an air fryer but I can give it a go.
“It's always fun trying to get a photo of all of them in one shot. We just have to try and throw lots of treats on the floor and get them to sniff in the hope that they are looking.
“We are so close to fields, and we can walk for miles here so we are so lucky where we live.
“Sometimes the pack changes because one of the women I walk with in the group actually has foster dogs so when it comes up on Facebook memories, it's lovely to be reminded of them, and we hope they're happy in their forever home.
“I love it when it pops up from so many years ago, and you're like, ‘look at them, they're all having fun’. The dogs are not asking for what's on top of everyone's list or that they want so much spent on them, they're dogs, and they're just happy to be there.”