(^58) | marieclaire.com.au
REAL PEOPLE
“When we got Bobby three years ago, it was love at first sight. He
was meant to be a toy cavoodle and half this size – but he’s a big boy.
Bobby is 100 per cent our fur baby. We’re a family. We treat him
like a human [and] he loves to eat carrots and asparagus. If he barks
too much or is rough with his toys, we put him in the naughty corner.
But all round he’s a really good pup. We’ve given him a few
nicknames: ‘bubby boy’, ‘mummy’s boy’ and ‘bubby burger’.
The poor dog’s so confused – he’s got so many names!”
“My husband Darren and I have
chosen to be child-free. I know
that dogs are not a replacement
for kids, but they have brought
so much love into our lives. When
we decided to get a dog, we knew we
wanted a rescue. We got Mr Barkley
around two-and-a-half years ago; he
was found on the streets. He was so
skinny and had [to be] completely
shaved because his hair was so
matted. We knew he was the one.
I was reluctant to get another dog
because Mr Barkley was so perfect,
but then we found Bella six months
ago at Dog Rescue Newcastle. Her
story was heartbreaking. She was
forced to have litter after litter at
a puppy farm, where she was quite
neglected. Most of her fur had fallen
out and they had to remove all of
her teeth one by one, but she was the
kindest, most loving animal. When
we introduced her to Mr Barkley, he
was instantly protective of her and
very gentle. Both Mr Barkley and
Bella have blossomed since we got
them. Mr Barkley is like a firstborn
child: he’s a perfectionist and a
people pleaser; he sleeps in our
bed every night. Bella is like an old
broad who’s seen it all. They make
everything better. They are definitely
our fur kids – we can’t go out for
dinner without a puppysitter.”
MICHELE, 31, AND REEVE, 32
- BOBBY BONES RANSFIELD, 3, CAVOODLE
SHELLY, 45 +
MR BARKLEY, 7, AND
BELLA, 6, RESCUE DOGS
“Mr Barkley [right]
and Bella are our
fur kids. They make
everything better”
SHELLY WEARS J.CREW DRESS, FROM THE THEICONIC.COM.AU. MICHELE WEARS GREGORY DRESS, FROM GREGORY.NET.NZ. OTHER OWNERS WEAR THEIR OWN CLOTHES.