This is the story of how a dog went from living in an illegal puppy farm to now happily travelling the world in a campervan.
The poodle cross – named Jack – was rescued with his one-eyed mum and siblings after being found living in squalor.
He was just five weeks old and was in a barren kennel with no water. Jack had been bred as part of a massive dog breeding operation.
After the pup became ill, the new owners reported the sellers and so the operation was uncovered.
Two-and-a-half years after being saved from the property in the West Midlands in 2021, Jack is now spending six months travelling across Europe.
This is all down to retired clinical animal behaviourist Julie Bedford, from the RSPCA’s Woodside Animal Centre in Leicester. Jack and his family were cared for here following their rescue – and Julie adopted him.
She, Jack and her other dog Tinkerbell – another poodle cross rescue dog – have already visited nine countries.
They have been to France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.
His adventures have included crossing the Millau Viaduct in France, a tour of Buda Castle in Budapest, and going under the Roman Trier Amphitheatre in Germany.
Next on the list are Greece, Italy and Liechtenstein.
Julie, 62, who lives in Gloucestershire, said: ‘I’ve always loved travelling and have backpacked around South America, Asia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and the USA.
‘But now I go with Jack and Tink, I always check ahead and make sure the places we’re going to visit are dog friendly, which is much easier in mainland Europe.
‘We tend to do outdoor type things and checking out World Unesco sites is a good start, we’ve been to some amazing places.
‘On one of our trips last year I took a photo of them on the border of Austria and Slovenia – there’s a post that marks the spot and a line running through the area.
‘They’re side by side but Jack is in one country and Tink in the other.’
She uses a campervan to get around, where the dogs have settled in well.
Julie remembers that Jack was ‘withdrawn’ at first when they met, but slowly that has changed.
Julie said: ‘He’d move away from people and was very grumpy initially.
‘For some reason he was terrified of birds and used to have panic attacks if anything changed even slightly at home, for example, if a coat was hung somewhere different.
‘He’s a completely different dog now. Travelling and taking part in agility classes has really boosted his confidence.
‘He adores cuddles and curling up on the sofa and of course he’s become somewhat of a globetrotter.’
Julie loves travelling with her pets, and has the next adventures lined up.
Neil Everall, from Woodside Animal Centre, said: ‘Everyone at Woodside is thrilled at how Jack’s life has been turned around so dramatically. We try so hard every day to make a difference and to make things right for animals that have had an appalling start in life.’
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