FOREVER FREYA

Our cover star for July is Freya, a very special girl who joined our team with Raquel, our Assistant Behaviourist. She's a sweet, clever staffie x-breed who loves people and we quickly saw her potential with other dogs. She's made a wonderful addition to our team of Buddy-Dogs.

When Freya came to Raquel and her wife, she got the best start to her new life. Read Raquel's words below for pointers about how to ease a puppy into their new home so that they grow up calm, secure and happy:

"A group of four chubby bully puppies, camouflaged by their matching fur, suddenly popped up on the screen during one of our daily dog searches.

We'd been reading, researching, applying, and preparing to become dog parents for almost a year—with no success. We only applied for a few dogs, but none felt like the right fit. We were being very careful about finding the right dog… what we didn’t realise is that sometimes, it’s the dog who chooses us.

There we were, both of us in Spain, helping my family pick grapes on my grandparents' land—a season always marked by abundance: food, wine, and good weather—when we saw an irresistible opportunity. A group of bull breed puppies: white, tan, and brown where their legs, heads, and tails were all tangled together. 

There was barely any information about them. We couldn't choose a specific puppy or even pick a gender, and the rescue was miles away from home. But we knew we had to act fast—those pups were going to be adopted in a heartbeat. Despite the uncertainties, we applied, with zero expectations.

"41," said the woman on the phone. "There were 41 applications for those puppies." And we got the last one—the only girl—Kelly.

In the back of my mind, I hoped it was that white-and-tan puppy, the only one in the group with that colouring. But who knew?

We travelled to Essex to visit the rescue centre, and met her—Kelly. The white and tan puppy. We fell in love with her instantly. Who could resist her?

Kelly didn’t have much of a history. She, her siblings, and their mom had been found locked in a cage next to a bin. They were just four weeks old and severely malnourished. Their mom had stopped eating just to keep her puppies warm and safe. We were lucky enough to meet her at the rescue centre—a one-year-old dog mom full of joy, strength, and a heart of gold. Just like our soon-to-be Freya.

From the moment Freya came into our lives, everything changed. Our top priority became giving her the very best. We paused home visits, stopped going out unnecessarily, and never left her alone unless we had to. We started a training program and worked hard to give her a calm, safe, and happy life.

It was never about how many tricks she could do or how well she sat. It was about helping her become a balanced, happy, friendly dog—someone who enjoys her walks or chewing a bone on a blanket while we have a quick drink 😊

It’s always been a team effort and a two-way relationship.

Although she doesn’t know it, Kelly—now Freya—has already taught us and other people so much. She’s shown to everyone that appearances don’t mean everything. Despite the stigma around her breed, she’s full of love. But more than anything, she’s taught us to stay positive, to greet everyone with a smile, to eat like it’s your last meal, and to keep going after life’s hard moments—because it’s all too short to waste.

And, hopefully, she thinks she has the best two moms ever 😊"