Pawsitive Tales

Sharing heartwarming tales of animals and their humans.

Chelsea, Theresa and Remus — March 6, 2023

Chelsea, Theresa and Remus

~ Chelsea, Theresa and Remus ~

Over five years ago, Chelsea and Theresa welcomed Remus, a timid but sweet Corgi pup, into their lives. Since then, they have become a close family and bring love and joy into every day.

In 2017, Chelsea and their wife, Theresa, were living in Macau, a special administrative region of China. One day, while out and about, they came across a Corgi who was being kept in a cage so small he couldn’t even turn around and was scared of everyone and everything. When they were on their way to Shanghai for a trip, Chelsea named the pup ‘Remus’ and, in doing so, knew that they couldn’t not adopt him. 

For the first year, Remus, or Remy, was terrified when meeting anyone new. He would shake and wet himself out of fear. However, with the love and care of his new humans, he gradually became less afraid and was able to trust those around him more. 

Having Remus has had a huge impact on his new family, especially Chelsea. Chelsea has had struggles with anxiety, however, when they met Remus, who also had anxiety, they felt a special bond in that they could understand one another. If either of them felt like being active, they would be active together, and if either of them were having a difficult day, they would be right there for each other. On days that have been especially hard for Chelsea, having a canine companion has encouraged them to get out of bed, go outside, give a warm snuggle, or just find a bit of calm during their day. 

Since learning to trust the world around him, Remus has absolutely flourished. He now enjoys meeting new friends – humans and dogs alike – and going on adventures. Chelsea and Theresa spent a whole year touring New Zealand in a van and during this time, they found that Remus loved this way of living. As well as this, he adores the water and going for a swim at the nearest beach. This is definitely his happy place. 

Not only has Remus had an impact on Chelsea and Theresa, but also many others. He is a very active – and beloved – participant of the LGBTQIA+ community. His humans run a NZ-based queer book business named the ‘Alphabet Book Club’ which was launched in 2021, shortly after they returned to NZ from Macau. Here, Chelsea and Theresa, as well as Theresa’s sister, sell all kinds of books – from children’s to adult, fiction to non-fiction – by from LGBTQIA+ authors and/or with representation. On top of this, they have their own podcast, Facebook group and monthly book boxes to connect with more people who may be looking for their next great read! Remus plays a very important role in this. He has given himself the title ‘chief of security’ by sniffing all parcels sent out and barking at the courier, but works hard and often needs a nap while on the job.

As well as helping run a book business, Remus loves to show his pride whenever he can. He, Chelsea and Theresa often attend Vinegar Hill, a camping festival, and any other events they can find. Of course, Remus is always happily representing his pride by wearing his signature rainbow bandana. 

The impact that Chelsea, Theresa and Remus have had on each other has been huge. Through learning to trust and be cared for, Remus has flourished and is living his best life. Having him as their canine companion has also made a world of difference for Chelsea. Each day is filled with unconditional love and endless joy and laughter, simply because they have one another. 

Tash, Karl and Petal — March 30, 2022

Tash, Karl and Petal

~ Tash, Karl and Petal ~

Just over a year ago, Tash and Karl welcomed beautiful Corgi pup, Petal, into their home. Since then, she has brought so much joy and love into their lives and has had a huge impact. 

In 2020, Tash lost her dog, Logan, a lovely and charming Corgi. He had severe kidney dysplasia. They monitored him 24/7 and ensured he could live the best life possible. He even helped her start her business, Pup and Running. Sadly, at two years old, his condition went downhill and he passed away later that year. Just before, Tash and Karl were looking to adopt a second dog so they wouldn’t be alone after Logan’s passing. 

Losing Logan was heartbreaking. However, Petal was able to provide Tash and Karl with some sense of peace and a little more joy through the difficult time. Tash always tells Petal stories about Logan and how much of a good big brother he would have been to her. Petal just gave them a sense of hope. That they could get through it all and she was right there for them. 

Having Petal has helped Tash immensely. While Logan ignited her passion for dog training and her pet accessory business, Petal has helped to hone in on this. Pup and Running is something Tash owes to Logan, but Petal helps by being a great model. She also thrives off of learning new things and being active, which has encouraged Tash to do so, too. 

Both Tash and Petal’s favourite thing to do is to spend time together. Be it training, going for a walk or relaxing on the couch, simply being in each other’s company is enough to make any tough day better. Not only this, but having a face similar to a teddy bear comforts Tash and reminds her that she isn’t alone. 

Petal has had a huge impact on Tash and Karl. She has helped bring them love when times have been tough. Each day, she brightens their day and continues to provide them with hope and joy. 

Phoebe and Barney — November 1, 2021

Phoebe and Barney

~ Phoebe and Barney ~

A year ago, Phoebe welcomed Corgi pup, Barney, into her life. In the short amount of time they’ve been together, they have brought so much light into each other’s lives. 

In 2020, Phoebe and her partner had been searching for a canine companion. They spent a while looking until finally, they met with the very lucky last of a litter of Corgi puppies in September. Once they met him, they instantly fell in love and adopted him and named him Barnabus, or Barney. 

After experiencing a tough year with the Covid-19 pandemic, having Barney was like a new, bright ray of sunshine. His energy and positivity can always bring a smile to Phoebe’s face. No matter what, Barney always knows just what to do to make each day a bit better.

When out and about, Barney brings smiles to everyone he passes. He is a very social pup and loves to meet new people. Whether walking down the street or at their local park, Barney brings happiness wherever he goes. 

It’s obvious how much of an impact that Barney has had on Phoebe’s life. He is always there for her as she is for him. Because of each other, they have so much more happiness in their lives. 

Oreo — July 21, 2021

Oreo

~ Oreo ~

On Christmas of 2020, Oreo found his forever home. Since then, he and his human have formed a very strong bond.  

Oreo, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, found his Christmas miracle in 2020 in being adopted into a loving home. When his human met him, it was love at first sight for both of them. From that moment, the two have become best friends.  

Until Oreo, his human hadn’t realised how much of an impact one animal can have.  No matter what is happening in their life, Oreo can always bring a smile to anyone’s face. He is always getting into mischief through his cheeky puppy antics. He definitely keeps everyone on their toes! However, he is always happy to snuggle up next to his human.  

Being an excitable doggo, Oreo loves all activities he gets to do with his human. One of his favourite activities is going for car rides. He becomes excited in anticipation of where they are going, as well as the journey itself. Not only this but Oreo also simply loves to play and go for walks with his human.  

Having Oreo has taught his humans a new level of responsibility. He brings happiness to everyone he meets and helps his human to spread more kindness whenever possible. You simply cannot help but smile whenever you see Oreo doing zoomies, or simply just being his goofy self.  

It is evident how much Oreo and his human care for one another. In the short amount of time they have been in each other’s lives, they have formed a very strong bond.