Bandit attended his first school today and I couldn’t be prouder of him. We visited St Andrews C.E. Primary school in Rochdale to introduce the children to our newest family member and I think it’s fair to say he was a big hit. I wanted to go to St Andrews first as they have always been really supportive of our work and have invited us back on several occasions with Monty and Cookie.

It is also a very calm and positive school, and I thought it was just the perfect place for Bandit to have his first lesson.

So, at the tender age of just 7 months old Bandit followed in the very large paw prints of Monty and the slightly smaller ones of Cookie and walked into his first ‘learning zoo’.

To see him confidently stroll into a full school assembly was truly heart-warming. Especially when I think how he first came to us just a few months ago from Italy. He was scared of the TV after obviously never seeing one before. To be honest that was pretty much the same for all household noises we take for granted, his socialisation was almost non-existent.

Now he sat taking it all in, all of the sights and sounds of a school hall and it was wonderful to see. It was also emotional as I had done this exact thing with Monty almost 200 times and it was almost like the big guy was guiding him as he sat quietly in between my knees as I spoke to the children.

He even lay down at one point and that was always Monty’s ‘I’m bored of listening to you dad’ protest and he’s obviously passed that on too. Well at least he didn’t snore.

I couldn’t have been prouder of the young fella, it’s like he was made to carry on Monty’s work. And when I saw those little faces today and remembered the positive effect Monty had on so many children, I am so pleased he was.