Furry friends for life

By Nicola Ceccato

Feb 16, 2022

Dressed to impress: Banjo struts around the dog park looking smart in his bow tie. Photo by Megan Fisher

Looking smart in his bow tie, Banjo runs around the dog park with his best friends, Brandy and Pixie, playing chase and rolling around on the ground.

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Owner Beverley Denner bought Banjo two years ago at the start of the pandemic and hasn’t looked back since.

“He’s been great company ... I wouldn’t have done without him, so he’s been really good,” she said.

“I hesitated about getting one but I’m glad I did.”

Banjo came from a home in Numurkah where his energetic spirit proved to be a bit too much for his previous owner.

Banjo was going to be sent to the pound until someone suggested Ms Denner take him.

“I said, well, he’s not going to the pound so I’ll take him — and I never regretted it,” she said.

Banjo’s favourite toy is a ball that Ms Denner says he takes everywhere in the house with him, and his favourite time to play with it is when she’s vacuuming.

“If I go into the laundry to get the vacuum cleaner, he’s gone to get the ball and he drops it at my feet in front of the vacuum and I’ll have to push it as I go, or kick it and he’ll chase it around from room to room,” she said.

Banjo goes to the dog park nearly every day, where he gets to play with Brandy and Pixie.

Play time: Pixie and Banjo tackling each other as they run around the dog park. Photo by Megan Fisher

Valerie Murphy is the owner of Brandy, a purebred poodle, and Pixie, who is a poodle and cavalier cross (cavoodle), and is also good friends with Ms Denner.

Looking at Brandy you couldn’t tell she’s the mother of Pixie who, at eight months, is already bigger than her.

Brandy was a breeding dog in her previous home and gave birth to two litters a year, for four years. Ms Murphy bought her a year ago during her last pregnancy.

While giving birth, Brandy had to undergo an emergency caesarean due to the large size of the four puppies inside her petite body.

Five years old: Brandy is just as lively as ever. Photo by Megan Fisher

After the birth, Brandy was desexed, putting her time as a breeding dog to rest.

“She's very affectionate. She loves nothing more than a cuddle, just like that,” Ms Murphy said, as Brandy leaned back into her arms.

“Any woman that comes here, she knows to go for the ladies. She would go up to a lady and jump up on their knees. So then they say ‘Oh, you're too cute’ and they pick her up and she loves it.”

Ms Murphy finds that despite their age gap, both dogs are full of energy and like to play similar games.

“I give them biscuits before I go to work in the morning then when I come home at night the biscuits are untouched but they’re guarding them and don’t let anyone near them. They’re so funny,” she said with a laugh.