Hi everyone, I’m Santi – the new pup in town.

I’m fast, good natured, and (so my owners say) a little too focused on one thing. Food.

My start with the LLC founders wasn’t perhaps the best – the vet bills were obscene!

Whilst for me, it’s all about the journey, I’ve potentially travelled a bit too far in my young pup life. First, a surprising emergency from eating the food I was given too quickly (even more surprising was just how quickly the emergency medicine, err, evacuated things) and then, not exactly learning quickly, going in search of something more exotic (aka poisonous), and spending three days in dog hospital. However, behind it all, I’m a thoughtful young hound. As Shakespeare said, “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool”. You know what? In both cases, I think he was talking about my ancestors.

I’m happy in any echelon of society, bringing a ‘joie de vivre’ to any situation.

I was born in a caravan just off the M4 to a very loving mum. However, my dog dad was (apparently) something of an aristocrat. I think my mixed background means I love the opportunity to meet clients from all walks of life whilst working at LLC. I told my dog mum this once – she cocked her head to one side before levelling with me that this was a surprising and unintended outcome of a walk in the woods that she once took with my dog dad (eurghh – mum, TMI!).

People often ask if I’m South American. My mum says it’s because of my dark features and Latin good looks but to be fair, I think it’s just my name.

The first time I was asked this by someone, I was like, ‘no mate, I’m from Barkshire, like all dogs’. He howled with laughter and complimented me on my ‘skilful verbal wordplay’. I mean it’s always nice to be told you’re skilful but, to this day, I remain confused.

So, onto Lyra. She’s my mentor. When I arrived, she thought her life was over. She HATED me. She’s tried (unsuccessfully) to make me think before I bark. I’ve taught her to be a team player (she now barks before she thinks too). Our whole is greater (and potentially more annoying) than the sum of its parts.

Being serious for a moment though, working for a B Corp like LLC, you have to understand our planet is a finite resource. Lyra and I absolutely agree that wasting things is a crime (at least, that’s what I tell her when I pile into her food anytime her back’s turned).

Lyra’s thing is cats. For me? Can’t STAND squirrels. A squirrel once underestimated me and rued the day. Having got a little overexcited there, my mum and dad told me it was illegal to kill a squirrel in the royal parks – they belong to the King or something. Admittedly my conduct can be a little expensive, but vets bills and statutory fines are all part of the long term investment right? And I do learn. Occasionally.

But Jo, my real mum is the boss – of that there is no doubt. Apparently we need to be careful of nepotism – she’s been banging on about a ‘conflict of interest’ or something. But in truth, she never lets me get away with anything – at least that’s what I tell Lyra.