Watching my pug, Bertie, staring longingly out of the window, my heart ached. It was 2017 and my poorly pup had recently endured critical surgery on a spinal condition, and now the poor thing couldn’t go outside.
By the time he was allowed back to the doggy park a few months later, he was wary of other dogs, and would back away, scared.
‘This isn’t good,’ I said to my fiance, James, 35, as I stroked Bertie’s blond fur.
But as I wondered what I could do to help, I had an idea. ‘I’m going to set up a pug meet!’ I said. I didn’t waste any time, appealing to other dog owners on Facebook the very next day. People loved the idea, and soon, Bertie and I met up with dozens of other pugs in the local park.
As soon as he saw the other dogs, every one of them small and squishy just like him, his curly tail was wagging. He had a great time, so we tried to make it a regular thing. The only problem was, the weather often let us down.
Sitting in a cafe with Bertie one rainy day, I was chatting to the owner when I suddenly thought about a pop-up pug cafe. James loved the idea, too, so we advertised on social media and held our first event in May 2017.
This story is from the November 23, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 23, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SCAMMED OUT OF THOUSANDS
When Susan realised her mum had fallen prey to cold-call fraudsters, she was too late to stop it
'I CHOSE MONEY OVER LOVE'
BS Alison Hammond on her career, love life and why she thinks she’s Beyoncé…
'I WAS IN TEARS'
Are things getting too much for Richard and Judy?
GONE IN A HEARTBEAT
Catherine Heffernan, 40, was resting after her night shift when a knock at the door changed her life forever
MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on the lottery, Gen Z and clumsy husbands
HOUSE OF HORRORS REVISITED
Three decades on, we take a look back at the heinous crimes of Fred and Rose West
MAGICAL MADEIRA
This North Atlantic island is the ultimate yearround destination for sunshine and flowers
WEEKNIGHT WINNERS
Jazz up family favourites with some store-cupboard magic
BODY TRANSFORMATION
Woman's Own looks at how the star has gone from being 'allergic to exercise' to showing off her abs on holiday...
HOW MUCH CLUTTER ARE YOU HOARDING?
Hoping for a bit of a reset Carol Driver, 47, decided to declutter, but it was harder than she thought