AINSLIE Guymer and daughter Matilda were on a rare trip to Riverside Park last September when they noticed a small fox terrier wandering through the park alone.
Skinny and with no collar around her neck, the dog appeared very friendly and instantly stole their hearts.
“Mum and I kept an eye on her and thought we should call the pound,” Matilda said.
“Then we thought, we could take her.”
Named Melon, the dog was adopted by the Guymers from the Swan Hill pound less than a week later.
However, her background remains a mystery to this day.
“She had no microchip,” Ainslie said.
“The vet thought she was between one and two years old but we have no idea where she came from.”
Six months down the track, it is clear that Melon has landed on her feet.
The affectionate and energetic dog is the perfect fit for the young Guymer family, who already own a whippet and a cat, with the bond between Melon and 10-year-old Matilda evident to anyone who meets the pair.
“I like to pat her and she likes to chase me around the backyard,” Matilda said.
“She’s so funny and really sweet.”
Ainslie added: “it’s taken Melon a little while — she’s quite nervous of men and loud noises.
“She wears her heart on her sleeve.”
Melon and her proud owners will be taking part in the Million Paws Walk to be held on Sunday at Riverside Park, with registration from 9am and the walk starting at 10am.
For more on the Million Paws Walk, don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Guardian on Monday (May 16, 2016).
