Laura Thomas & Ginger Lily

Who is in the photo at right?

I am Laura Thomas-— wife, mother of 3 teens-and-twenties kids, and published author of various genres (feel free to check out my website). I am also the owner of this gorgeous canine… Ginger Lily, the 4-year old female English bulldog! We live in the beautiful city of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We love to walk down to the lake, and this beautiful spring afternoon was way too perfect to stay indoors. Lily, who is the quintessential couch potato, always perks up when I grab her leash, and she seems to undergo some sort of miraculous transformation into an energetic greyhound puppy. Until she gets back home to her couch…

What's brewing?

Starbucks non-fat caramel macchiato always hits the spot for me.

Any treats for you or Ginger Lily on this occasion?

I was uncharacteristically restrained from consuming anything chocolate today (I usually go for the Starbucks chocolate caramel pretzel stick), but Lily had a little piece of her beloved cheese when she arrived home.

How were you and Ginger Lily united?

After our previous pooch of 14 years passed away, I said we were not having another dog. Ever. Yeah, that lasted about 6 months, and then I began talking to myself and developed a bizarre fascination with English bulldogs. Possibly because I’m English, but mostly because they are such great companions. My family loved the breed too, so we did lots of homework and finally located a superb breeder in the Vancouver area, and then waited for the litter to be born. We all fell in love with Ginger Lily at first sight, and the rest is history. She is such a humorous, adorable, slobbery bundle of shedding fur— there is never a dull moment with Lily around!

How did your dog get her name? Any aliases?

We named her after a restaurant at a resort in Jamaica. Doesn’t everyone do that? Actually we were on vacation and had put a deposit down with the breeder, so were officially “pregnant” with an English bulldog. We ate at this restaurant one night, and I looked up at the sign and declared that if our puppy happened to be a girl, we would name her “Ginger Lily”. She became Lily for short, but also answers to Frilly, Fluffy, Stinky, and Bacon. Okay, she’s an attention seeker and answers to pretty much anything!

Does Ginger Lily do more to help or hinder your writing?

I would have to say Lily helps rather than hinders my writing. She’s a pretty low maintenance/ exceedingly lazy doggie, and I find her heavy breathing/ old-man-snoring quite therapeutic while I work. On the rare occasion when she does in fact move from the couch, it’s a healthy reminder for me to take a quick break from the computer screen while I attend to her majesty’s needs!

Have any actual dogs inspired fictional dogs in your published work?

Oh yes. An English bulldog appears in my middle grade novel The Candle Maker, which is scheduled for publication later this year with Dancing With Bear Publishing. English bulldogs are such humorous, fascinating animals and they simply ooze character…I took much inspiration from Lily. A series of bulldog stories for young children is definitely on my “to do” list.

Cat, postman, squirrel...?

Postman— or any other poor soul who happens to come anywhere near our house. She has a ferocious bark, but she would only ever lick someone to death. And maybe ask nicely for a tummy tickle.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

We banned squeaky toys early on for the sake of our sanity. Ball or anything she can chew vigorously… have you seen the under bite?

Who is Ginger Lily's best pet-pal?

Sadly, her best pet-pal Romeo the guinea pig recently died, so now her only fellow pets are the fish. Not quite as exciting really. But to be honest, she prefers humans.

What is Ginger Lily's best quality?

She is so, so loving. You seriously can’t help feeling loved with this one around… although she is not terribly good with ‘personal space’. All she asks in return is to be fed!

If Ginger Lily could change one thing about British Columbians, what would it be?

Lily would respectfully request that B.C. residents not presume she is a boy dog, just because she is lacking in the daintiness department. Yes, she is a little husky and has quarterback shoulders, but don’t the pink collar, pink striped harness, and pink sweater scream that she is a girl? “What’s his name?” Really, people?

If Ginger Lily could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

Do you actually watch the TV, or are you just gapping out and sleeping with your eyes open?

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Ginger Lily could speak, who should voice her?

Morgan Freeman. Definitely.

What advice would Ginger Lily give if asked?

Slow down the pace of life and smell the roses. Or eat them. Or just eat anything.

Visit Laura Thomas's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue