A few weeks ago, we shared with you what we consider to be the best commercials of the year, featuring ARISTOPETS or in which pets played a significant role. Among them, we chose the Christmas advertisement for the State Lottery and Betting Association: Danielle. Not because of the love story between an extraterrestrial embodied as a beautiful, mysterious girl and a nice but unlucky boy. But because of the presence of a dog who stole our hearts.
Before you continue reading, we invite you to refresh your memory and watch the short version of the commercial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nhk7hiaz1k
The ARISTODOG couldn't be any more adorable, could he?
Well, the real story of this small Portuguese podenco has recently come to light. And unfortunately, it has been rather difficult. Neither magic nor luck played much of a role during a large part of his canine life.
Max, as the dog is called, began suffering very early on. Just a few days after he was born, he was separated from his mother. He was abandoned in a shoebox at the door of an animal shelter in Seville: El Buen Amigo.
He spent quite some time there until a family showed interest in him and decided to adopt him. It seemed that his luck was about to change, that he would be able to start over in a home where he would be loved and respected… but unfortunately, that was not the case. The family never really took to Max's mischievous and somewhat untamed nature; he did not fit their lifestyle and did not live up to their expectations. That lack of feeling led to Max being returned to the shelter.
Being abandoned twice was hardly encouraging. Not only in the eyes of the shelter staff (who know that some dogs have a harder time than others finding a family), but also in Max's own eyes. Although they cannot put it into words, dogs who have experienced abandonment gradually lose faith and trust. Many of them become depressed and have a really difficult time… But luckily, Max's life took a sudden turn when a woman named Ainhoa appeared.
Ainhoa is an ARISTOPETER who grew fond of Max and did not hesitate to take responsibility for him and bring him to Madrid. The beginning was not entirely easy because of Max's character. But his new owner persevered, confident that things would change. She sought help from a dog trainer, and together they managed to help Max channel and regulate his energy.
In fact, acting became part of Max's life. And it became the pastime that kept him focused, calm, and balanced. First came a few appearances on Antena 3; later, a commercial for an insurance company; a cameo in a «La Casera» commercial… and so on until he reached his moment of glory: the 2017 Christmas Lottery advertisement, directed by Alejandro Amenábar, in which he shares the screen with Charlotte Vega and Dani Luque. Both, incidentally, are true ARISTOPARENTS. Charlotte is Luca's mother, while Dani is Bimba's father.
The similarities between Max's real story and the fictional story are considerable. In real life, Max is abandoned. In fiction, he gets lost. But both cases give us reason to reflect on dogs' fortunes and on what we can do as a society to prevent stories like this from happening again. And to help all those who have suffered bad luck so that their lives can experience a fortunate plot twist…
