Let’s face it, in this part of the world, no one has done much for dogs since Noah saved a couple from the rain. That’s until my friend Sarah turned up. Sarah, who once worked as a dog-walker in Virginia, now lives in Yerevan, because her husband is working here for a while.

Eager to get out of the house, Sarah began to volunteer at the Pawsitive dog shelter. Although her Armenian is limited, she can communicate well with the 127 dogs who live in the disused Soviet factory which is Pawsitive HQ. The good news is that the dogs can run about doing what dogs do. The downside is that Sarah has to run after them through this near-derelict building, pooper scooper in hand. Most of the windows are broken. At this time of year, it is perishing cold.

The shelter is funded entirely by donations and so the dogs get fed once a day. Dinner is usually a bowl of buckwheat. Sarah knows and cares more about dogs than I do, and so she decided to launch a Santa Paws  fundraiser, vowing to get each of the 127 dogs two meals every day all winter. She asked me for some ideas to draw attention to her campaign. She knows that, while I  am not much of a dog lover, I do like a copy-writing challenge.

I advised that she might tap British donors, musical lovers, and great readers through  the season-appropriate use of Please Sir, May I Have Some More, and a suitably cute picture. Perhaps a shopping list for the 12 days of Christmas would prove pupular? On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a puppy chew and Chum Pedigree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,  two t bone steaks, a puppy chew and Chum Pedigree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, three french hens (bones removed) and so on, all the way to 12 drumsticks basting. In the end though I like the simple, straightforward Throw Them A Bone this Christmas. After all, it doesn’t do to kibble.

If you would like to donate to Santa Paws, please do so here.