Meet Tammy and Bruno, a toy poodle aged 13. They live in London with Tammy’s other pet, Snoopy the London horse (@Londonhorsesnoopy). Here is Tammy (@tammylwong) to tell us how she gave Bruno a Second Chance.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Tammy, and I am a retired dance artist from Singapore. At the moment, I live in a small flat in central London with my dog, Bruno (toy poodle).
When Bruno first came to our lives, we were a family of three people and a standard poodle living in a Straits-Chinese house at the edge of Chinatown in Singapore.
Tell us about your dog?
Bruno is a toy poodle. He came with this name. I did not change it out of sheer superstition.
Bruno came from a family of show dogs in Australia. His grandfather was a champion show poodle and the family had pinned hopes on Bruno. However, Bruno was born with undescended testes. As explained to me by his original human mum, this condition meant that Bruno was of “no use” to them. They could neither show him, nor use him for breeding. Hence, he was in need of a new home/family.
What made you decide to rescue?
We had two dogs then, and one of them had just died. The dogs were best mates, and my dog that was alive missed his friend deeply and was grieving for a while. We could see he was in need of a friend, and we had space in our hearts to accommodate another.
How did you choose your rescue dog?
My daughter and I have severe allergies and needed a dog that did not shed. As I am familiar with poodles, I simply went on a poodle rescue website to look for one.
Tell us about the rescue/shelter you adopted from.
As mentioned above, he came from a private show family who put him up on the Poodle rescue site.
How easy was it to get your rescue to the UK?
We were living in Singapore at that point in time. It was a matter of arranging the correct paperwork, health checks, and then the flights to Singapore, as Bruno came from Tasmania and had to be flown to an Australian city with a direct flight to Singapore. He flew as cargo.
When we relocated to London, it was again the same sort of paperwork mountain to be scaled and then physically a more circuitous journey as the UK does not allow pets-in-cabin to enter the UK. Bruno flew in-cabin with me from Singapore to Amsterdam, where we then boarded the train to Paris. From Paris, a pet chauffeur met us and drove us through the Eurotunnel to London.
One thing that made the paperwork less ominous was that like the UK, both Australia and Singapore are rabies-free countries.
What did you think about rescues before adopting?
As I always have thought – every dog deserves a chance. There are no bad dogs out there. If the dog displays disruptive or anti-social behaviour, it is often because we (humans) created a situation that encouraged such difficulties.
What is your message to anyone who is thinking of getting a rescue?
The same as I would offer anyone considering getting a non-rescued dog. Be very honest with yourself. A dog is a life-long responsibility. Ask yourself if you have the time, energy, mental capacity, and financial resources to take on such a huge responsibility. Be frank/realistic with your own needs and expectations. Especially if offering a home to a dog who has already been deserted once – it is not fair to the dog if one “rescues” with idealised but unrealistic intentions.
What have you learnt from rescuing your dog? Things about yourself? Has it changed your perspective about rescue dogs?
I don’t differentiate between a rescue and a non-rescue. Every dog has something to teach us if we only care to listen. What I also believe is that often it is not the dog who is rescued but who finds us and rescues us from ourselves.
What are your favourite things to do in London with your rescue dog?
My dog goes just about everywhere with me and lives a very participatory, active life. It’s especially special when he comes with me to help take care of my horse. It’s lovely to just be together. Alas these moments are more limited now as my dog is a senior citizen who gets cold easily, while my horse is in the prime of his youth.
GIVING SECOND CHANCES
Bruno & Tammy is one of the many stories about Second Chances.
By choosing to rescue a dog, you’re making a statement against the unethical practices associated with puppy mills and irresponsible breeding. You affirm your commitment to giving a loving home to a dog in need, regardless of their past circumstances.
In the days leading up to our inaugural Rescue Dogs of London & Friends meetup in Kensington Gardens on Sunday, May 12th, we will feature some of the Second Chance stories we know. Together with The Dog Vine, we will share their stories on Rescue Dogs of London over the next couple of weeks.
The inaugural meet will be at Queen Caroline’s Temple, Kensington Gardens from 11.00am.
This is a ticketed event. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
The inaugural meet on the 12th May will be at Queen Caroline’s Temple, Kensington Gardens from 11.00am.
Come along and meet some of the Rescue Dogs and see how they have adapted to life in London.
This is a ticketed event. All proceeds for the event will be donated to two deserving dog rescues: ZEM Rescue Megara in Greece and Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors in China.
The tickets are just £20 (plus Eventbrite fee). CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
Here’s what’s included:
- Entry for one dog and up to two humans
- Your candid photo with Andrew of Raven Imagery
- A wag-tastic goodie bag (one per four-legged ticket holder), filled with amazing goodies from brands we love: Beautiful Joes, Caboodle, Wunderdog Magazine, James & Ella, Pawer Water & Project Harmless
- Plus, there’s an option to treat your pup to some delicious special edition Rescue Dog Cookies from Darcy’s Bakery.
With Thanks to our Rescue Dogs of London Event Sponsors:
- Wagworks: WagWorks is the happy place for city dogs. Dog daycare, dog grooming, training and vet services in West London.
- Biome9: Gut microbiome test and health report for dogs. Unlock the complex biology of your dog’s inner world using cutting-edge AI.
- PAWD DRINKS: PAWD DRINKS is a range of preventative and functional liquid health supplements for dogs scientifically designed to target common health-related issues.
- The Rockster: Rockster quite simply has established a new standard in calibre of ingredients, dog nutrition and palatability never seen before in the industry. Hailed as “more than just food”, Rockster is the only Bio-organic dog food in the world that is certified as a superfood in its own right, having transformed the lives of many dogs.
- Raven Imagery: Renowned dog photographer Andrew Richardson from Raven Imagery captures stunning portraits of pups against a backdrop of the capital and beyond.
- Darcy’s Bakery: Darcy’s Bakery is an artisanal dog bakery specialising in catering for parties, events and brand collaborations in Central London.
