Edinburgh couple rescue stray dog from Sahara desert
Last updated 21/02/2010 13:35:39
Edinburgh couple rescue stray dog from Sahara desert
A homeless dog that wandered the Sahara desert is now living the life of luxury thanks to the Edinburgh couple who rescued him.
Togo was skinny and scruffy when he walked on to a film set in Morocco and was spotted by Peter Tucker, who was visiting his partner Jo Cameron Brown while she worked on a film as an acting and voice coach in last June.
Peter struck up an unlikely friendship with the bedraggled mutt over breakfast one morning as a pack of stray dogs would visit the film set each day, drawn by the smell of sausages.
"There were lots of cute little dogs visiting our breakfast canteen that morning but I took pity on one very scruffy, moth-eaten looking dog that no-one seemed to be taking any notice of and fed him a few of my sausages," Peter explained. "After breakfast I was sitting on the steps of Jo's trailer when he came over and sat down beside me. He was desperate for affection and rolled over to have his tummy tickled. There was really no going back after that and it wasn't long before Jo and I were talking about bringing him home.
"It was a real struggle, not least because the animal welfare standards over there are much, much lower than here and I think the authorities just couldn't understand why we wanted to take the dog home. We were very determined and despite one aborted attempt in Marrakech and the eye-watering expense we finally managed it. "
After several failed attempts Togo finally flew from Marrakech via Casablanca, Frankfurt and London to arrive in Glasgow. He spent six months in quarantine with the animal charity Scottish SPCA in Dumbarton, before finally being cleared to go home with Peter and Jo.
Peter added: "When he arrived in Scotland he was exactly as he had been on the day that we'd first met, very loving and affectionate. We visited him at the weekends while he was in quarantine. The SPCA staff were great throughout the six months and it was very clear that they really cared about their animals."
Centre Manager Joe McDade said: "It was clear when Togo arrived that he was a very gentle, laid-back dog who loved attention. He quickly became a firm favourite among the staff here. Six months is a long time for any dog to spend in kennels, but it's extremely important that the proper quarantine procedures are followed when bringing an animal in to the UK from abroad, and we think Togo would agree that it was worth it to have the loving home he now has."
Togo has been settling into his new home in Edinburgh with Jo, Peter and their jack russell, Candy. Togo has just started some training classes - the Edinburgh traffic is one hazard that he didn't have to cope with in the desert. Peter said: "Some people might think we're mad, but we look at Togo now and he's such a happy, loveable and loving boy so for us it's all been worth it."
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