Magnus - a small dog with a MASSIVE personality.  When working with a dog is this much fun you really don’t want it to end.  He also mugged me as I lay on the beach trying to photograph him running towards me as it was ‘all a game to him’.  (and yes there is video of this which I might publish at some point!)  Add to this the amazing weather we had and the stunning scenery of Arran with its snow capped mountains.  What more could you wish for?

So Magnus has a story.  He was described to be as a “7 1/2 month old French Bulldog x Dog :) possibilities are Pug or English Bulldog, or he could just be a strange looking Frenchie.  He is a pure bred Magnus!”

Magnus is really lucky to be here.   

A little bit of context first though.  French Bulldogs tend to have a very short tail, although they are not all born with same tail length.  Some tails will be longer than others.  Once upon a time breeders would dock some or all of a Frenchie puppy tail in order to score more wins in the show ring. (Don’t get me started on dog shows!)  Thankfully this practice is now frowned upon, but some breeders still partially dock tails which gets me really angry, so I will leave it there.

So in Magnus’s case, when he was born there were obviously complications as he ended being born via C-section at the vets.  On seeing that the puppies had tails the ‘breeder’ took it upon herself to take the mum home, separating the puppies from their mother and left the puppies at the vet with   instructions to put them all to sleep as “THEY WERE NO GOOD”.  Just because they had long tails!

Thankfully the vet did what all vets should do in this case - find  better solution.  So he rang another frenchie breeder, Nakita, who had been in the day before and who had tragically had lost a singleton pup, leaving her frenchie, ‘Perrie’refusing to eat, howling at the loss and refusing to leave her bed.

After calling to see if she would consider taking the pups,  Nakita saw it as fate and immediately took them in.  The foster mother ‘Perrie’ was a wonderful foster mum and all of the pups found new loving homes and are now living the best lives.  The story went big on Tik Tok and made the press, a link can be found at the bottom of this post with a short video (Which one is Magnus though? Can you guess?)

I asked his owner Jillian how she values the relationship they now have and she replied “More than you could imagine.  He’s done more for me than you could possibly know.”  What an amazing dog and he’s only 7 1/2 months old.  Apparently he often sighs at home, as if he has had the hardest day ever!  Well it takes alot to look after each other. 

I’m just so glad I get to hear stories like this, when an animal is lucky enough to be able to get away from such cruelty and clearly lands on his feet in a loving home.  Thank you to the vet.  Thank you to Nakita and thank you to Jillian.  It took three kind hearts to overcome one act of cruelty but the result and what these dogs now mean to people is incalculable.  

This was one of the best experiences I have ever had on a shoot and will never forget it.  Dogs don’t need much - warmth, a bed, food, company and love.  I look forward to seeing how he grows into his personality and can categorically state that he is a pure bred Magnus. 

Link to Press Article and Video