MEMBERS STORY – Paul Irvine

I initially brought these two beautiful girls home on 30th of April 2017 and they immediately made themselves at home and within a few days it was as if they had always lived there. They are both such happy girls it is impossible not to love them. They both have different personalities Gianna being a little more independent whereas Minnie is my little shadow following me about from the minute I get up until the minute I go to bed even following me to the toilet and she is so clever she has somehow figured out how to open the sliding door of the en suite toilet! If anyone had told me that I would spend my retirement putting little pink bows in dogs hair I would not have believed them but I actually really enjoy making the girls look their absolute best and do all their bathing and grooming myself.

I have been fortunate indeed to join the Bolognese Dog Club UK and have made some wonderful friends and the club has given me a lot of help and support over the years. I always look forward to the Bolognese Meet Ups and try to go to as many as I can. They are a wonderful way to meet other owners and Gianna and Minnie absolutely love meeting the other Bolognese dogs. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and you get lots of useful tips about grooming and care. There is always the opportunity for a nice lunch and a lovely walk for the dogs too. We are fortunate as a club to have members from around the world not just UK based.

20 November 2022
This year I went on a cruise for my summer holiday with my family and we were finding the itinerary a bit rushed and it was difficult to figure out the best way to see all the highlights at our ports of call. I posted online asking if any members could suggest the best way to see Helsinki and Stockholm in a day. I was pleasantly surprised to get a reply from Anu and Esko Lius two overseas members of our club who live near Helsinki. They were unbelievably kind and offered to travel from their home near Helsinki to meet us and they brought their two adorable Bolognese dogs Mesi and Piki to meet us too which was wonderful as I was suffering severe Bolognese withdrawal symptoms having been apart from Gianna and Minnie for over a week. It was a privilege to meet Anu and Esko and it was so very kind of them to take time out of their busy schedule preparing for their son’s wedding the following week. They shared with us a lot of information about life in Finland and showed us around the city.

I would encourage everyone to make the most of their membership and join in as many club activities as they can . I even had the pleasure of meeting Pegasus and his lovely family at a meet up in London one year and was amazed to discover that Pegasus was one of Gianna’s puppies.

The Bolognese is a rare and special breed and I consider it a real privilege to share my life with them and can’t imagine not having Gianna and Minnie in my life. I am so very grateful to Carol and Dennis Mulligan for entrusting the care of Gianna and Minnie such special girls to me.

Paul Irvine
Blackheath, South East LONDON