Four felines purring, three dachies dashing and a springer spaniel named Remy
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Four dogs and as many cats circled our ankles as 18-year-old Brooklyn Clarke introduced us to them all.
“Most of them are my responsibility because I’m the one who keeps bringing them home,” she said.
In the mix were three miniature dachshunds named Arlo, Aster and Lola, an English springer spaniel named Remy, and four cats named Milo, Leo, Ollie and Princess.
Reddy’s set to go at all times
It was clear to see “big goofball” golden retriever Reddy and 11-year-old Michael Doherty were the very best of mates when we met them in March.
“Reddy is amazing with Michael,” Shepparton’s Louise Doherty said of the family’s 40kg dog and her son.
“We often find Michael laying on Reddy having some quiet time and Reddy is sound asleep.”
Reddy was originally going to be named Johnny, but when Michael picked him out of the litter, all the pups were wearing different coloured collars to distinguish them from each other.
Reddy’s was red, so that name stuck instead.
Ralph returns home
After 15 years protecting his family, little ‘Old Man Ralph’, who’d been given that nickname at a young age, crossed over the rainbow bridge this year.
“His job was to look after his people and he took his job seriously. He was loyal and devoted,” Ralph’s owner Jakara Doyle said.
“He definitely thought he was a great Dane although he only weighed 10kg.”
Ralph had a lust for life and adventure and biting the mudflaps on the car.
For as much digging in the backyard and bushland exploration while camping, Ralph also liked to laze about at times, “zorbing” in the sun (soaking up the rays) and chilling on the humans’ beds.
“He may not have been a lap dog, but he was definitely a nap dog,” Jakara said.
The family built a memorial garden in Ralph’s honour at the front of their Katandra West home “so he can guard his family for all of eternity”.
The love of Patch was the patch of love needed
Little Jack Russell Patch came into Vicki and Ken Clowes’ lives at one of their most trying times: when Vicki was dealing with debilitating Parkinson’s disease symptoms in 2024.
“He was my saviour last year. It was very, very hard last year,” Vicki said in April 2025.
“Even when he was a puppy, he would know when I was really sick.”
Mittens, a six-year-old farm cat who came from a litter of strays that Vicki had taken in, pretends she doesn’t like the canine intruder.
“If they know you’re looking at them, she’s swiping and hissing at him, but silently, she comes in the pet door and sleeps in the basket with him at night,” Vicki said.
Vicki said Ken feeds Patch chicken and milk first thing in the morning before taking him for a daily ride on the motorbike around their small cherry farm.
When Ken leaves for work in Shepparton at around 7am, Patch transfers his loyalty to Vicki for the day.
“He goes, ‘okay, I’m all yours, Mum’, and I get all the care then,” Vicki said.
“I just couldn’t imagine life without him. He’s just the best.”
From abandoned to adored
Seventeen-year-old Sumi is around 119 in human years.
It’s something of a miracle given he was left to fend for himself at five weeks old beneath the grapevines on a Robinvale vineyard, weighing as much as a piece of fruit himself.
He belongs to Shepparton’s Leonie Wilson, who says his name was adapted from Sumo — the name Leonie’s grandson wanted to give him after watching his belly swell after eating — to more suit his small dog breed.
Despite still getting bursts of youthful puppy-like energy to playfully chase balls for a few minutes here and there, Sumi’s eyesight is fading and he often looks for Leonie in the house for comfort.
“He gets a bit lost, a bit disoriented,” Leonie said.
“But he has a great appetite, sleeps well, his heart is good, his stomach is good, he has no arthritis. The vet said on his annual check-up in March, ‘We’ll see him on his 18th birthday’.”
From abandoned to adored
In July, before Neta Kirby left town after her retirement, she introduced us to Connie and Meg, her pets and co-workers.
Nine-year-old Connie, the Labrador “with a bit of golden retriever in her”, and three-year-old Meg, a golden retriever “with a bit of Labrador in her” are therapy dogs.
They once helped Neta during her sessions as a sand play therapist in Tatura.
Neta worked with troubled kids as young as two.
“They could work with the dogs to give some of their power back,” Neta said.
“Nobody else works with little ones like that because they say they can’t talk yet, they can’t tell what’s happening to them.
“Well, in this case (with the dogs), we don’t need to have them tell me what’s happening.
“It’s powerful stuff.”
Neta said once their vests came off, the pair of pooches became regular, playful dogs.
“They’re not support workers, they’re not guide dogs or anything of that nature, they’re my co-workers,” she said.
“And then when they’re home, they’re pets as well.”