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With Christmas nearly knocking at our doors, our two resident dogs couldn’t wait to put together their 2019 Christmas wish lists.
Our Pomeranian Office Diva has already tried one of her new seasonal outfits on and seemed very proud of it.
With his dad’s help, Dexter Balloon Dog also thought of some very special gifts out in the Lakes. Will they inspire you with special Christmas ideas too?
Both Pixie, our Office Diva, and Dexter, our Balloon Dog, regularly visit our social media channels.
You might have seen Pixie before lounging on one of our desks while we worked.
Together with the crew in the Lake District, Dexter wished us a happy 25th birthday in our anniversary video.
The two of them have quite different life stories and preferences, reflected in their Christmas wish lists too.
Our Dexter Balloon Dog set off to write up a very concise wish list with his dad, Jonny’s help.
They got all Christmassy and took the job very seriously, as they always do.
Dexter’s list shows a positive, pragmatic nature with a dreamy touch, too.
And what else than a hot air balloon ride could have been top of his list? He is not called Balloon Dog for nothing.
Here is Dexter's Christmas wish list, simply put:
His first three wishes talk about something Dexter loves most, besides his dad - the outdoors.
And he gets to enjoy them even more working alongside our Virgin Balloon Flights crew in the Lake District.
Together with his dad Jonny, he hops on the Land Rover and helps on launch and landing sites in flying season:
“Dexter loves his walks up and down the riverside and charging along the canal towpath. He meets lots of his friends every day. His best friend is Rocky whom he meets on the beach. They go crazy running around and come back absolutely filthy! Of course, his favourite thing is coming out on the Land Rover to do balloon retrievals. He gets so much fuss and love from all the passengers.”
Often found waiting for passengers and pilots, who share an after-flight glass of champagne, Dexter loves being around people.
But he hasn’t always been this lucky.
Jonny saw him on a Facebook ad when the dog was 18 months old. He was described as a “failed working dog”:
“When I found him, he was lank, half bald, and had scars on his head and legs. Even his tail was painful where it had been badly docked. He had been used for shoving down badger setts that he wouldn't fight. When I got him home, he was scared of everything. However, it was clear that he was a very loving dog. It took a lot of work, especially being calm and patient with him, to get him to be the lovable sociable dog he is today.”
Jonny and Dexter met at a very difficult time in their life for both of them, as our crew member says:
“I got him whilst in recovery after having half my right lung removed. So he has healed me as much as I have healed him.”
Now, he is training to become a therapy dog so he can accompany his dad in school.
When Jonny doesn’t crew for Virgin Balloon Flights, he works with children with behavioural and learning difficulties.
Just like Dexter loves helping his dad out crewing for balloon rides, Pixie enjoys keeping us company at the headquarters.
She accompanies her dad, our Chief Pilot Kenneth Karlstrom when he works in the office.
Pixie has her bed by his desk, but she doesn’t limit herself to just being pretty in her corner.
She roams around from desk to desk, demanding the attention any diva deserves. Often, she convinces us to pick her up and let her lounge right on our desks.
In terms of her Christmas wish list, it truly fits her diva style.
First of all, Pixie loves showing off her fluffy fur and her cuteness. So, obviously, she requires all the necessary means to maintain her beauty.
Here is Pixie’s Christmas wish list, as shared by her dad, our Chief Pilot Ken:
A diva she may be, but Pixie adores her dad, Ken.
It is only when our Chief Pilot participates in competitions that she stays home with her mom.
Pixie has been with Ken’s family for four years now since she was only nine months old.
She had a predecessor – Cookie, an equally pampered Office Dog.
Cookie also joined in the festive cheer with a cute Christmas outfit and he used to share his wish lists with us.
Both our Virgin Balloon Flights dogs adore their families. No Christmas wish list would be complete for any of them without something for their dads, Ken and Jonny.
As the Chief Pilot of the biggest passenger balloon flight operator in the world, Pixie wishes her dad all the best in 2020 ballooning events.
When he comes home with great stories he can always bring a few treats too for his princess.
She also thinks her dad’s company needs to add a few more hot air balloons to the existing fleet.
Dexter wishes his dad good health, so they can crew for Virgin Balloon Flights in the Lakes for a long long time together.
For their shared love of the outdoors, he hopes Jonny will get to finish working on his Land Rover camper.
His dad knows Dexter is excited to go away camping next year.