Sara, the beautiful thief.

That surprised you, didn't it? Let me reassure you straightaway. I am not interested in famous paintings or expensive jewellery. I do not want to rob a bank. My interest lies elsewhere - food.

I am a black labrador with a glossy coat and big brown eyes. I hold my tail straight out due to a mishap in my youth. This anomaly gives me a certain allure! But, back to my slight failing. I understand that all labradors are the same. We cannot seem to get enough to eat. Most of my breed suffer in silence, I decided to do something about it.

My youth was a difficult one. My mother was a pedigree labrador but she had the misfortune to fall deeply in love with a non-labrador dog. I was the result of their love affair. Although I favoured my mother and was more labrador than anything else I was not wanted in the closed labrador circles in which we moved.

I was passed from owner to owner, nothing worked for long. I then lived rough on the streets. It was there that I had the good fortune to meet up with two ladies who fed the local stray cats. They fed me too and allowed me to sleep on their doormat, but winter was coming and they worried about me. They wrote adverts and placed them in strategic places. We did not have to wait long. A lady phoned. By using careful and calculated pressure the ladies persuaded her to take me. We hit it off straight away. It did not take me long to make sure that she was putty in my paws.

We live happily together. Now that I am settled my obsession with food has come to the fore. My dear owner, whose name is Chantal, shopped in a local market at that time. I soon realised that by putting on a woeful expression, the stall holders, well aware of my sad history, were only too anxious to help me forget my years of hunger. I would queue up for free roast chicken, ham and bananas.

But, I hear you ask, how did ,you become a thief. That came later. We moved. No more market, no more kind stall holders. I decided to take things in hand. Don't misunderstand me, I was well fed but, in a labrador's tummy, there is always room for more! I checked out the new neighbourhood for possibilities. Next door lived a cat and his owners sometimes left their door ajar. I helped him finish his meals. There were other cats within easy reach and I helped them too!

One of my best efforts came when the lady who lives in the flat upstairs invited me up to give me a biscuit. She had just taken a joint of beef out of the oven and left it on the work surface. I made off with it and managed a sizeable portion for myself before I was caught and the joint restored to its rightful owner.

Tea parties. Wonderful occasions for my talents. There are always cakes! I sit as close to the tea table as I can and visually select the cake I want. I then lean heavily on a suitable guest to get what I want. If that doesn't work, I help myself.

My exploits would fill pages. I am well known in our neighbourhood for my kleptomanic tendencies. That and the fact that I love the rain. I get as wet as I can, go indoors, get dried then come back out to sit in the rain again. My antics amuse everyone who knows me. To me, making people laugh is a talent indeed. It makes me very special.

Copyright Jacqueline Hastings 2009