Armley ‘street dog’ Harry is a part of the furniture at the grand old age of 18

By Jacinta Osawe

A well-loved Armley dog is celebrating his 18th birthday this year after been adopted at about 18 months old.

Kylie Mecklenburg, of Eyres Grove, said Harry the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is well-known in the Armley area and was a minor celebrity after being captured on Google Street View.

She had got the dog from her mother who had bought it off some “not very nice people” in Birmingham. Since then she has loved the dog like her baby.

Mecklenburgh said Harry was her “best mate” who has been through everything with her and is cherished by her entire family and the residents in the streets where she lives.

Harry is said to be a fiend for food and could literally eat anything, including a full pack of Haribo sweets and its wrapper.

Ms Mecklenburgh said: “I have had him for a long time, even when my little girls was born, she’s known him all her life and he’s her best mate. Everybody loves him on our little street and he gets on with everyone.”

Even at his ripe old age of 18, Harry is said to be a happy dog, likes to play with his toys especially his little balls as it helps him softens his teeth “as he hardly has any left”. 

Mecklenburgh believes that just loving Harry and looking after him properly is the secret of his long life as she isn’t doing anything special. She added: “Honestly, it surprised us he’s gone this long.” 

She said Harry had been a very lively dog, who used to love going on long walks and likes the beach, but is now slowing down due to his age.

“We can’t take him on long walks as much as before and he struggles getting up the stairs because he’s just old and his bones are hurting I thinks,” said Ms Mecklenburgh.

“You just know he’s always there. We have got a very little street and everyone sees him, he just sits at his little chair and he’s always there, no matter when you look at the house you will see Harry’s face. He’s like a street furniture in a way, he’s always there, he’s a street dog and everybody loves him and it’s just lovely.”

Ms Mecklenburgh has many fond memories of the dog over the years. She added: “When he was younger he loved to try and catch the sea and when he would run off in the fields the only way he would come back was if we turned the car on.

“He is also very mischievous and gets himself into all sorts of situations. Recently my partner came home and he had managed to get his head stuck in a box and was just walking into things in the kitchen, luckily we caught this on camera.”

Harry is Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is said to be one of the most popular breeds of dog in UK whose life expectancies is expected to be 10 to 15 years.

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