Bulldog finds forever home to give emotional support

A FRENCH bulldog was paired with a Henley family to provide emotional support for their
11-year-old daughter, who was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Sonny, 18 months, formerly known as Spud, was taken home by the Dixon family, following last week’s appearance on the first episode of Channel 4’s The Dog House.

He had three homes in his short life before he found his forever family home with Glenn, 45, Kate, 42, Betsy, 11, and Harry Dixon, eight, who live in Peppard Lane.

Mrs Dixon spotted an advertisement for the programme in March, after the family suffered the loss of their rescue tabby cat, Eddie, four, during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020.

After an initial phone call, the family underwent an online interview, where they were successfully chosen to participate.

The family had diverse preferences for dog breeds, with Mr and Mrs Dixon favouring a Staffy, while Betsy and Harry hoped for a Cockapoo or Cavapoo.

They were nervous about which dog they would be matched with and were surprised when it was a French Bulldog, a breed they were unfamiliar with and initially thought looked “a bit ugly”.

Betsy said: “When they said it was a French bulldog, I was like ‘I don’t really know what it is’, but I saw a video and thought, ‘Oh, they’re so cute, but I just don’t know because they’re a little ugly too’.”

Sonny overwhelmed the family with his high energy when he zoomed into the room, head-butting and licking.

Mr Dixon was concerned about Betsy’s reaction, as she was unsure and felt scared by his boisterousness, but Harry and Mrs Dixon were immediately smitten.

Mrs Dixon said: “I was like ‘Holy mackerel, he is hyper and full on’, he was headbutting and licking, but Harry and I were very much like ‘Oh, he’s awesome, he looks like a really cool dog’.

Mr Dixon joked that Sonny appeared to be a “proper dude”. He added: “When I saw him come through the door, he was bigger than I thought he was going to be. He looked like a proper dude, and I thought, ‘I’m going to enjoy walking him’.

“I had my eyes on Betsy because I could see all the emotion she was feeling, and it was evident in her eyes. I was very concerned about the dog being for everyone, but eventually he settled a little bit, and the girls had a nice moment with him.”

Mrs Dixon and Betsy spent an hour alone with Sonny to bond, an event not shown during the programme, which helped Betsy warm to him and the family agreed to call the dog their own. Betsy said: “The first night, I cried a bit because I was still really unsure, but a couple of days later, I fell in love with him. He’s the best thing in the world and so cuddly. I couldn’t imagine him not being around — he feels like a brother now.”

After three weeks of settling, Sonny began sleeping at the end of Betsy’s bed, with the duo even sleeping in the same positions.

Mr Dixon said: “Every now and again, I’ll go up and take Sonny up at about 10pm while Betsy is asleep.

“He will lie on the end of the bed and sometimes, when I poke my head through the door, he will be lying there on his back, doing the same funny sleeping position. I have to take a picture every single time.”

Sonny has become Betsy’s best friend, providing comfort for her during insulin-pump pod changes. She said: “I feel like he really noticed me with my diabetes because whenever I’m making a pod change, which can be quite painful and I get really worried about, he jumps up on my lap. I start thinking about him and not about what’s going on, so he really just takes my mind off of it.”

Mrs Dixon said Sonny, who has been settled with the family for around four months, has made them closer and more connected.

She said: “I think he’s brought us all together so much more because you can’t look at that face and not smile. He is the sweetest boy with the biggest eyes who does the sweetest things.

“When I work from home, he’s like my little shadow. Glenn comes home from work excited to see the kids and me, sometimes, but he forgets until he opens the door. It’s such a nice thing to come home to, and I don’t think he could be more loved.”