A cheeky schoolboy fooled his dad into getting a puppy by impersonating his mum in WhatsApp messages - even calling him 'hun' and hilariously signing off 'just get one, the kids are crying'. Little Noah Ley, nine, was desperate to welcome a puppy into the family after learning his parents had discussed the possibility of getting a pal for 18-month-old cocker spaniel Jet.
Kevyn Ley rang wife Janine Ley mentioning that an eight-week-old puppy was available to rehome immediately. The dental nurse, 40, said she wanted time to think about it, but while her back was turned as she did housework, Noah swiped the phone and carried on the conversation with his oblivious dad over WhatsApp.
Noah effortlessly convinced the steel worker, 43, he was continuing the chat with Janine by peppering pet names 'love' and 'hun' into the chat messages. The cheeky lad even said 'they all want one', hilariously signing off 'Kev just get one, the kids are crying'.
It was only two hours later that the mum-of-three, who's also mum to Ethan Ley, 15, and three-year-old Nellie Ley, checked her phone and realised the mini mastermind's plan had worked perfectly. Noah was delighted to set the meeting between the two pups into motion and, after the pair hit it off, golden cocker spaniel Lulu is now a new permanent member of the family.
Noah, from Newport, South Wales, said: "I really wanted a dog and I went on Mum's phone and wrote 'hi hun', it's a phrase Mum uses. I was very pleased and excited when we got Lulu. I really love her, she gets on with Jet. I feel really happy and excited that she's staying."
Janine said: "I do say 'hun' a lot, Noah's absolutely nailed it, the impersonation is spot on. When I read 'Kev just get one, the kids are crying' it sounds exactly like something a grown-up would say, not a nine-year-old. He's a monkey. It's naughty but he's really funny. It's middle-child syndrome, he's cheeky but gets away with it because he's funny."
Janine and Kevyn first discussed a new canine addition to the family a few months ago after going on holiday. Janine said: "A few months ago when we were on holiday Jet went to our dog carer and she said Jet would benefit maybe from having another dog as a companion.
"Me and Kev discussed getting another dog a couple of months ago and just went back and forth. He must have secretly mentioned it to his friend who breeds dogs, I had no idea about it, who messaged him and said 'I've got a puppy available if you like her'.
"At 10am on Sunday, Kev rang me from work and he was really coy, he said I've got a question to ask you. He took me aback when he said we've been offered a puppy. I was like 'what? Are you kidding me? We only talked about it'. He said she was ready now if we wanted her.
"I said I needed to think about it and he texted me at 11am badgering me about it. I shouldn't have said anything to Noah but I said 'you won't believe what Daddy's just said, he's asked if we want another puppy'.
"I wrote a message to Kev saying 'Noah wants another dog'. Kev then asked what the kids thought. That's when I go off - I was in the room, but was busy pottering around cleaning so just left the phone on the side.
"Noah's then immediately gone onto my phone, he uses my phone quite a lot to play games and look at Instagram, and he's obviously gone on WhatsApp. Noah grabbed it and continued the conversation, Kev really did think it was me."
It was only two hours later that Janine checked her phone and realised what had happened - and confronted a smirking Noah.
Janine said: "I didn't realise until 1pm that Noah had got hold of my phone and that we were getting a new dog. I said 'Noah why have you been texting dad?' He smirked and then said 'I really do want the puppy though Mummy, please can we have her?'.
"I said to Kev 'it was Noah, I'm not ready for this'. He just said 'I really did think it was you and I've said we'll have her now'. I couldn't believe he'd fallen for it because Noah's done it on my phone before.
"We went away for a break at my mum's caravan and I'd arranged for Kev to pick us up at around 12pm. Noah wanted to go home early so he texted 'hey hun can you pick us up at 9am?'.
"Noah was absolutely thrilled he got his own - and his dad's way. I think Kev had made his mind up anyway that we were going to have her.
"His friend brought her over on Monday to see how she got on with Jet. She's not left and now she's staying. She's so cute. Our main concern was how our other dog would take to her but he's been amazing. They're both absolutely bonkers. Kev's happy as Larry, he's really excited, he thinks it's funny and 'it's just Noah'. I reckon he's plotting more for the future."
Kevyn said: "He had me, I was convinced it was Janine. I was in work and the way he put it I thought 'it's her then', he proper had me.
"I got the messages and thought nothing more of it even the spelling was ok, apart from one word I noticed when I read back, but when you read it quickly you don't notice anyway. He had a lot of kisses in his messages, I thought 'oh my god she's being nice to me for a change'.
"When I finally realised it was Noah, I probably swore. I just thought 'he's had me'. I said to Janine 'I thought it was you, he's proper done me there. To make sure I'm definitely talking to Janine in future I'm going to have to ring her first and say 'is this you?' or have a code word."