Blanca Flor & Annita Rodríguez
A lifelong love
We introduce you to Blanca Flor, who shares her life with Annita, an adorable ARISTOPETER we have known for some time and who we can say is a true ARISTOPETER. Annita is incredibly sweet and affectionate, and that is exactly how she is with Blanca Flor. She puts the same care, perfectionism, and dedication into this relationship as she does into everything else. An exceptional professional and an even better person. We loved interviewing her and hearing her talk about her life as a THE ARISTOPETER.
Tell us about Blanca Flor. How did she come into your life? How long ago?
I have known Blanca Flor practically since she was born, and we have always had a very special relationship, but at first she lived with Jota (José Ramón Rocabert), my best friend and practically my brother. When he moved to Paris for a while, he asked me if I could look after her, and before long Blanca Flor had become the queen of my home: she was 4 years old then and is now about to turn 14, so she has been with me for almost 10 years. Although Jota returned from Paris a few years later, he was incredibly generous in letting Blanca Flor continue living with me. I think that if he had wanted to take her back, we would have had a Kramer vs. Kramer situation.
Where does her name come from? Why did you choose that name?
Blanca Flor was a rather unexpected gift. A friend brought her to Jota because his mother had two Yorkies (Elvis and Priscilla) that had had puppies, and he thought a puppy would be the perfect companion for him. When she arrived, she was tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and seemed fragile and a little pretentious. Jota decided to find the grandest possible name for such a tiny little thing, and out of all the options (some worthy of a full-blown soap-opera star), Blanca Flor won. When she first came to live with us, my boyfriend was mortified whenever he took her for a walk and had to call her in the middle of the street, but the truth is, we find it very amusing to see people’s faces when they discover her name…
Tell us something about her. What story would you share with all the ARISTOPETERS?
I have thousands of stories because we have been together for many years and have been through everything. Whenever possible, she has also come to work or traveled with me. As a curiosity, I can tell you that she was the first pet to enter Madrid’s Ateneo Científico y Literario, and possibly the only one to have a photo sitting on Manuel Azaña’s desk, where the Second Spanish Republic was forged. She loves the beach, and in the countryside she goes wild and lets out her terrier spirit. Although I almost always take her with me when I travel, whenever she sees me starting to pack a suitcase, she climbs inside it just in case…
She is old now, with senile dementia and other ailments. Sometimes she wakes us up at 5 in the morning because she is disoriented, but she is still the kindest and noblest dog in the world. My boyfriend and I work very hard to make the years she has left as happy as possible.
Tell us something about yourself. What do you do? What do you most enjoy doing?
I am an events and advertising producer, and I also share a life project with Blanca Flor’s “father”: Brunch Magazine, a digital fashion and trends magazine that has served as a platform for developing our 360º branded content and brand awareness service. I also teach at Camilo José Cela University (UCJC), so, as you can see, I am pretty busy. I am very lucky to enjoy my work so much, and because I am freelance, I am also the master of my own time, which these days is, in my opinion, a precious treasure.
When I am not working, what I most enjoy is traveling, discovering new places, and getting lost in them. If I won the lottery, Blanca Flor, my boyfriend, and I would become textbook nomads.
What would you say to someone who wants to welcome an ARISTOPET into their life?
I would tell them that caring for an ARISTOPET is one of the best things that will ever happen to them. The love we feel for a pet is undoubtedly the most selfless kind there is. The affection animals give us is also the purest. But we must not forget that being an ARISTOPETER is a great responsibility. Pets are not accessories; they are living beings who depend entirely on us. They require care and sometimes have special needs that we must be prepared to meet with love and complete generosity.
Photography: Cristina Andreu