MEMBER STORY – Tracy Rock

Well, it all started when my son left home back in July 2017. Our House suddenly seemed empty and quiet and so we started thinking about having a dog. We did our research and decided on the breed either Bolognese, Maltese or Coton De Tulear. So, we went to some dog shows and looked at the breeds and talked to the owners. We settled on Bolognese and so we registered with the Kennel Club and consequently was given Chris Thatcher’s number as she had a recent litter. We arranged to go and see Chris and have a look at the puppies and fell in love with the puppy with the orange collar. The puppy is now called Archie and he came to live with us in February 2019.

After several more visits we got to know Chris and Brian quite well and met up on a regular basis. We toyed with the idea about having another dog and as Chris still had one more puppy left we decided to take the chance and have Archie’s brother who is Marco (purple collar) when he was 6 months old.

Although Marco had recently qualified for crufts, the two boys became our beloved pets and not show dogs. Archie & Marco love each other very much and will be 3 years old in November. They sleep and play together, in fact they are inseparable. We have kept to their collar colours for many of their accessories. For example, the boys have orange or purple leads, bowls, beds and toys!

We are passionate about visiting Belgium and had just got the boys pet passports before Covid and lockdown hit. However, we are hoping to get to Belgium with them in 2022. The Belgium’s love their dogs, they have dog toilets on the beaches and poo bag dispensers available on the streets. In Belgium you can take your dog into most shops, restaurants, bars and even the supermarkets!

Our two Bolognese keep my partner Nick and I entertained and have enriched our lives immensely. My son lovingly tells us, “it took 2 dogs to replace one son!”

Tracy Rock
Worcester, Worcestershire