Elsa – from abandoned on the streets to dog of honour at our wedding!

From the moment we saw Elsa’s advert on the NCAR website, we knew we had to have her!

We have always been dog lovers but as we both worked full time in an office we knew we couldn’t commit to having our own dog. Instead, we decided to become volunteer dog walkers at NCAR and we enjoyed lots of long walks with various residents. We took part in the annual Boxing Day walk every year and absolutely loved it.

When the 2020 lockdown hit, as with most people, our lives were turned upside down. We were no longer working in an office and instead turned our spare bedroom into a home office.

In 2021, our employer told us that they would continue to adopt a hybrid working model from now on. Our dreams of owning a dog suddenly became more feasible!

I frequently checked the NCAR website, still a little unsure whether our dream of owning a dog would actually come to fruition. I jokingly said to my partner that if I saw an advert for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel on the NCAR website then we would have to have them.

I have a strong affinity for the breed having grown up with them in my family home.

The following week Elsa’s advert was published on the website! I took it as a sign and immediately filled out an apply to adopt form. We met Elsa at the rescue a couple of times and found out about her background.

She was found as a stray after being abandoned and suffered badly with separation anxiety. The thing that I remember most was how her tail barely wagged at all. We had been told she was struggling in the kennel environment.

When we took her home we knew we needed to give this little girl the life she deserves. We planned to take her on lots of adventures to build her confidence and social skills.

We have had Elsa for nearly a year and a half and she has come on leaps and bounds since being with us. Her tail never stops wagging now – even in her sleep! We’ve enjoyed adventures to Bodnant Garden, to the beach (where Elsa enjoys the doggy ice cream) and to pumpkin picking patches at Halloween.

We have even taken her on a holiday with us to Aberystwyth where she enjoyed a tram ride up Constitution hill and lots of seaside walks.

She has her own advent calendar and personalised stocking at Christmas, and is completely spoilt rotten. We treat her like a child and that is why we couldn’t leave her out of our wedding day.

We are currently preparing her for her role of Dog of Honour at our wedding and we are so excited to have her walk down the aisle with us. Her responsibilities will involve meeting and greeting guests, accompanying a bridesmaid down the aisle and posing for lots of photos! She is part of the family and there was no way we could leave her out.

Thank you NCAR for giving us one of the greatest gifts of all. Elsa has filled a gap in our lives that we never knew existed.

Jasmin