We met Mookie completely by chance...but isn't that how all the best friendships begin!?

It was March 2016, and Josanne and Richard were thinking about adopting a brother or sister for me. Knowing how much deaf dogs, and staffies in particular, struggle to find a home, their search criteria was pretty specific!

So off we went to Bristol to meet Ashworth, a deaf, two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, who was saved from a council pound over a year ago and has been in kennels ever since.

Ashworth is a lovely boy (and still available for adoption!), but unfortunately, him and I didn't quite gel, so we said our goodbyes and got ready to head back to London. Then - suddenly - the front gate opened and in sashayed Mookie from her walk.

We all fell in love with her instantly. Josanne and Richard wouldn't stop stroking her and I trotted around after her like a lovesick puppy!

A week later, the home check was complete, her bed, bowls, and toys bought, and we were heading back to Bristol to collect Mookie.

A sad start to life.

Mookie is not even two years old yet but she's already lived through tough times and seen the worst in human nature.

Abandoned on the streets of Bristol as a puppy, Mookie wound up in a council pound. By law, dogs are given seven days to be reclaimed in the UK, and are euthanised if their owners don't collect them in time. Nobody showed up for Mookie.

That's when Mutts With Friends Dog Rescue stepped forward to save her life.

Being the friendly dog that she is, Mookie was snapped up for adoption straightaway by a family, but alas, she was sent back to the rescue centre when the resident dog didn't take well to her.

She was adopted again. Quickly, suspicions began to arise when Mookie's new owner went quiet. Things took a terrifying turn for the worse when Mutts tried to carry out a follow-up visit and Mookie was nowhere to be found in her new home.

The staff at Mutts searched everywhere for Mookie, knocking on doors and trawling the streets. Eventually, they found her: locked in a boarded up house, abused and starved.

Mutts immediately seized Mookie, and a few days later, she entered our lives.

Queen of the house.

Wary of her surroundings and nervous to trust us, Mookie did take a while to settle in. Six weeks on, it's wonderful to see Mookie now views this as her home, loving nothing more than snuggling up on the sofa with us after a good run in the park.

Although she does have some scarring on her tail and legs from her past, our vet says she is healthy, happy, and we've fed her up to her ideal weight.

Everyone who meets Mookie agrees that she's wonderfully regal; calm and refined, with the aura of a queen! She's such a great playmate too! Our favourite game to play together is tug-of-war, plus we enjoy a good wrestle and chase.

With summer (sort of) here, Mookie has joined our household at the perfect time, and I've been busy introducing her to all the local doggy hangouts. I can't wait for the adventures Mookie and I are destined to share together and the incredible memories we'll make!