Misty is wheely big hit in Inverness
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A TINY terrier is fast becoming a big celebrity around Inverness when she goes out with her owner.
However, Misty, the 12-year-old Jack Russell, doesn’t settle for a conventional walk on a lead when she goes out on the town.
Instead, she dresses-up in a warm jacket and dons pink goggles before being strapped into a customised baby carrier to go for a spin on owner Ann Young’s bright red motor scooter.
The pair have now become a familiar sight in the city, turning heads and attracting lots of camera action when they take to the streets.
Retired staff nurse Ann (61), of Hilton Avenue, who worked in Raigmore Hospital’s renal unit, said Misty starts getting excited when she sees her putting on the bike jacket and preparing her harness.
“She barks non-stop till I put her into the carrier. She just loves going on the bike,” she said.
Previously Ann owned Misty’s mum Peewee while Misty was cared for by her uncle who gifted her to Ann 18 months ago.
Peewee too had a taste for hitting the road and used to travel in Ann’s backpack.
Ann said: “I tried Misty in the backpack but she didn’t like it. She barked and managed to get her head out the side of it. I thought if I could get a baby carrier, I could adapt it to carry her. I got one out of a charity shop and tried it out.
“I lifted her up strapped her in and took off on the bike up and down the road, just a short distance, and she loved it.
“She was just so laid back and relaxed. She was watching everything that was going on around her. She just loves it. If we’re stopped at traffic lights or in slow traffic she has a look round to see what’s going on around her. She’s a character.”
The pair get a few incredulous looks from passers-by and other drivers when they’re out on Ann’s Modena scooter. Ann said: “Most people just smile or want to take a picture. Kids love her. She’s a right little poser.”
And, she added that Misty did not seem at all bothered by the fuss people make of her.
“Fame has not gone to her head, yet,” she said. “I joked with my neighbours that if she turns into a diva I am going to call her Paris Hilton Avenue. Really, though, she is just a little dog that likes getting out on the bike. Nothing seems to faze her. She’s great.”
