FAQs
Dolly already had her name when we got her. She has quite an iconic Dolly Parton vibe – warm, funny, confident and charismatic - and we think her name suits her! Dad has a few other nicknames for her too – Dolly Girl, Dolly Baby, and Baby Girl being his favourites.
How old is Dolly?Dolly was born on January 5th 2017, and is currently 7 years old.
Where did Dolly come from?Dolly was born in Belarus, and shipped to the UK by an irresponsible dog breeder who ran a backyard, illegal dog-breeding business. She was used for breeding, and lived in a small kennel in a shed in the breeder’s garden in London. She was overweight, dirty and ungroomed, her space was unclean, and she was desperate for love and affection. So, Katie bargained with the breeder to let her take her. Although Katie and her friend tried to get the breeder shut down, he was smart and managed to evade the authorities and ended up moving somewhere else. Luckily, Dolly is now spoilt rotten, inundated with cuddles and has the best life she could imagine.
Why is Dolly so puffy?Dolly has an amazing thick coat that grows very quickly, but she is also a little overweight which adds to her cloud-like puffiness. Dolly was nearly 3-years old when she came to live with Katie (before she moved in with Dad), and was already sadly very overweight. We try to get her weight down as much as we can, but it is hard because she just lives for food and is a lazy girl who loves nothing more than to walk at a snail’s pace and lie down as much as possible.
Does Dolly snore?Yes, loudly and often. Sometimes her snoring wakes dad up.
Is Dolly friendly?Dolly is extremely gentle and loving. She has never bitten or growled at anyone in all the time we’ve known her. She is not always interested in people she doesn’t know, but she is super friendly with those she knows and loves.
Who is Dad?Dad’s name is John, and he is an 87-year-old man who lives in London. Although he was born and grew up in America, he met his English wife and raised his family in London, where he has lived ever since. His favourite things are ice cream, bananas, chocolate, a strong cup of tea and hanging out with Dolly.
Is Dad’s health OK?At the moment, yes, Dad is in pretty good shape for his age. However, he does have early-stage Alzheimer's, which makes it hard for him to manage day to day life on his own. His daughter Katie lives next door to him and supports him.
What do Dolly and Dad eat?Dolly would eat anything and everything if she could, but Dad feeds her cooked chicken for her breakfast every day with a little bit of dry food in the evening. Dad eats porridge with nuts and fruit almost religiously every morning for breakfast. The rest of the time he eats mostly fish and a Mediterranean diet, and loves to share little bits of his meals with Dolly, and her half brother Nicky (who lives with Katie).
Who is Katie?Katie is Dad’s daughter, and Dolly’s previous roommate before she decided Dad was more deserving of her attention. Katie lives next door to Dad and looks after him. She left her job as a healthcare communications professional to better look after Dad and to start a company - called Eldering - to help other people supporting and caring for elder parents and relatives in the UK.
Who is the other dog we sometimes see with Dolly?That’s Nicholas, aka Nicky. He belongs to Katie and lives with her in the apartment next door to Dad. Dad adores Nicky too and Nicky often hangs out with Dad and Dolly when Katie has to go out. Poor Nicky is a sensitive soul who can get easily stressed and suffers from alopecia (hair loss). That's why he has a little piglet tail and a patchy coat of fur. Nicky also goes by the nicknames Lil’ Guy (because he's so little) and Mouse (because of his mousey tail).