Nathan Hartono: Unchained Melody

Nicky strikes all the right notes with Nathan.

- Eileen Chan

It’s every dog owner’s worst nightmare: Your pet has gone missing and is nowhere to be seen. It’s a gut-wrenching, heart-pounding moment, filled with guilt and anxiety.

One misstep in a night out with friends a couple of years ago proved to be a turning point for the 30-year-old Indonesian Singaporean singer-songwriter and actor, Nathan Hartono. Yes, he found Nicky, his pint-sized Shitzu back after a couple of hair-raising hours frantically searching for her in a carpark – that juncture proved to be a turning point for him.

Striking The Right Note

For a huge pet lover like Nathan, the love of his life must be Nicky, a very genteel and very composed pint-size Shitsu. And that night in the carpark, he realised it.

To prove a point: His Christmas greeting on Instagram account last year is of “Ol’ St Nicky wishes you a Merry Christmas”, and of course, his paw-fect companion is front and centre of the post.

Selfies on this bachelor’s various socials provide a glimpse of his penchant for animals. There’s a Shiba Inu he’s pictured with, along with assorted dogs and scant cats (he found out he is allergic to cats along the way). Even his songwriting career is peppered with references to his affinity for animals.