Tika at Buckingham Palace.
Image Credit: Stephanie Goldberg
September 05, 2020 - 1:30 PM
After being found in a Surrey puppy mill, Tika the dalmatian is now enjoying life in London, U.K.
“They were cross-breeding dalmatians with beagles and living in horrific conditions. The dogs were covered in urine burns and matted feces,” said Charly Jarrett, BC SPCA’s digital giving specialist, in a BC SPCA press release.
Jarrett was “incredibly fearful,” she said in the press release.
“Because the dogs were never fed proper food, she also required extensive dental work. [Tika] was probably one of the dogs that was better off physically, she was very much affected mentally.”
However because she wasn’t dependant on her siblings, Tika was able to be adopted out as a single to her pet guardian, Stephanie Goldberg.
Tika celebrates her birthday on a Vancouver beach.
Image Credit: Stephanie Goldberg
Goldberg says she fell in love with Tika the moment she saw her on the BC SPCA adoption website, but because she never had a special needs dog before, according to the news release.
“I had a million-and-one questions about training and behaviour before I could reasonably consider whether I might be up to the task of caring for her. The staff at the BCSPCA were abundantly helpful in answering all my questions and guiding me through the adoption process.” While training Tika was ultimately a “breeze,” says Goldberg, it wasn’t without its challenges.
“Tika was a very nervous little pup when I first got her,” she said, in the press release. “She received excellent foster care but still had a long way to go.”
Goldberg and Tika moved to London in 2017, two years after her adoption.
London life has been good for the 11-year-old dog. “She has made a ton of friends here (four and two legged). London is actually incredibly dog friendly, and many pubs and restaurants have dog bowls and treats for any dogs who come in. Tika has become a big fan of pubs.”
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