Kill station to private jets: pup's story ends happily

Thursday 09 November 2017

After being rescued from a Spanish kill station, Coco - a chihuahua-cross - was adopted by a family in Jersey who now regularly treat her to family holidays around Europe.

Little Coco was spotted by the Company of Dogs' foster carers in a 'kill station' when she was just four months old.

The charity, which helps re-home Spanish rescue dogs in Jersey families, posted pictures of Coco, then named Bridget, on their Facebook page two years ago.

The pictures immediately caught the eye of many islanders, among them Justine Coom and Richard Harrison. One look at Coco and Justine knew she had to have her. She told Express: "She looked so sad in the picture; almost like a little gremlin. I emailed the Company of Dogs to have her. We had to go through home checks and there was quite a queue of people so we were very lucky to have her, by all means. And she has been our little baby ever since."

Pictured: The photo that won Justine's heart.

Although she weighs only three kilos, Coco is a big character, who likes to protect her big brother, Harri, a collie cross that Justine and Richard rescued in France. Justine says: "She looks after him even though he is much bigger than her. She will bark at any dog that tries to play with him. She fights with him too, she thinks she is a big dog. There is so much entertainment with the two of them around. They have been good since day one. We also have three cats and all of them are like a proper family.

"Coco is a real character. She knows lots of tricks and is very clever. She is a little princess."

Pictured: Coco and Harri exploring Italy.

Since her rescue, Coco has traded her sad looks for a much happier grin, and with good reason. Justine and Richard always make sure to take their pups on holidays and therefore lucky Coco has visited England, France, Monaco and explored the surroundings of Lake Como and Lake Garda in Italy. She has stayed in various French castles and even received treats from royalty, when she met Prince Albert in Monaco. Nothing is too good for the little princess, who even had the chance to jump on a private jet.

Pictured: Justine, Richard, Coco and Prince Albert of Monaco.

Justine explains: "We book our holidays where we know we can take our dogs. We found that France is very good for that. The chateaux are very dog-friendly and Coco and Harri are able to run in the woods. Coco definitely has a nice lifestyle. She always gets so excited to meet new people or see new places when she is on holiday."

Pictured: Coco and Harri travel often with their owners.

In Jersey, Coco loves going to Longueville Manor, "We go so often she thinks she owns the place," says Justice. Everywhere she goes, the little dog gets lots of attention, which helps Justine spreads the word about rescue. She has had dogs all her life and has always preferred rescuing to buying from a breeder. She says: "Coco is like a little ambassador for the Company of Dogs. People ask where she comes from and we tell them how she was rescued from Spain, where it is quite common for dogs to be dumped in dustbins. It makes people think about rescue.

But Coco's success story is only one out of many. The Company of Dogs has helped re-home over 600 dogs, most of them in Jersey. Timo is another one of their lucky little rescues. He was found attached to a rock after he had been beaten up, probably to kill him, but is now leaving a happy life in Jersey with his furry sister Elodie.

Pictured: Timo (left) got a second chance at life when the Company of Dogs' foster carers rescued him.

Jo Fry set up the Company of Dogs after rescuing her own dog from a 'perrera', the name given to kill stations in Spain. She works with foster carers who visit the perreras and select the dogs who have the most chance to be adopted in Jersey. Photos are published on Facebook and people can register their interest and receive a home check. Ms Fry explains: "We can't save all of them sadly so we have to be practical. It is heartbreaking but the some dogs are feral or have had very little human contact so they would be miserable if we brought them here. We want to make sure that they get the right sort of home that is adapted to their needs."

"They do an incredible job," says Justine. "They are strict with their home-checks to make sure the dog gets a good home. They also keep in touch and are very supportive, if you have any issues with training they always help. Hopefully they also stop people from buying, sometimes unknowingly, from puppy farms."