The gorgeous Tika is a regular attendee of our events and one of our favourite friends. She is a Dalmatian cross but often gets mistaken for a Dalmatian puppy. She lives in Clapham with Stephanie.
Tika didn’t have a great start to life as she was used as a puppy farm breeding dog where she had no experience of being a loved pet, she never had walkies, cuddles or any human companionship. The farm was fortunately raided by the SPCA in Vancouver. That’s where she met Stephanie. When Stephanie adopted Tika she was severely underweight and had a large abscess on her face but it was love at first sight and Stephanie set to work making up for those lost years in the puppy farm. Tika moved to London in 2018 and she continues to flourish thanks to Stephanie. Who is making sure she will never be short of cuddles again! We asked Tika about her London life:
What do you love about living in London?
All the dog friendly places I can go! Especially the pubs and restaurants that give me treats.
Do you have any favourite pubs and restaurants you would recommend?
My favourite places are Blank Brixton on Acre Lane, the Windmill Pub in Clapham Common and Megan’s in Clapham Old Town. The humans at Blank have always been so kind to me and give me loads of treats whenever I’m there. They make me feel so special. I love it.
Clapham is a great area for dogs. Where can we find you strutting your stuff?
There are two great parks near me – Clapham Common and Brockwell Park. I like Clapham Common because there’s a spot in the middle where dogs often meet up, so it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for a butt sniff. Brockwell Park is big and has lots of nice paths too, so I like going for calm walkies around there.
Do have a favourite outfit you like to wear to impress your friends?
I have a wool sweater that I wear in the winter that I love! It was the first piece of clothing I ever owned. My human bought it because when I tried it on in the store I became noticeably calmer. It still makes me happy to see it and put it on.
Where else in the UK do you like to visit?
Since moving here I’ve been to Bath, Cardiff, Bristol, and Brighton. They all smell pretty good, but I what I really like is a good staycation. As a rescue pupper it can take me a while to adapt to new places, so sometimes I prefer to hang out with furiends while my human goes away.
We know you like your food.What are your favourite food and treats?
I loooooove food and treats. I’m on a raw diet that we order from Honey’s. It’s made from ethically sourced, seasonal, free-range British ingredients and is a mix of all the good stuff – raw meat, minced bone, and veggies. I also like all kinds of veggies on their own, especially carrots, and have a keen ear for the sound of chopping vegetables.
What things do you do that make your humans smile?
So many things! She’s always smiling at me. I think she smiles the most when I cuddle her (which happens A LOT) and when I do something super brave like walk with a loose lead along a busy road.
We love to follow you on Instagram. Who do you like to follow?
I love following my dog furiends around the world on Instagram. I have some from back home that I like to keep in touch with including my rescue mates @julioandchloe, @saoirsethedalmatian, and @downtowndalmatian. I also have made some great furiends here that I like to follow like Archie and Freddie from @twoterrierssocialclub, @buxtoninlondon, @fyfy_toffy and @cavdashians…
What plans do you have for the rest of 2019?
More treats!! And naps. And plenty of cuddles.
You can follow Tika on Instagram @tika_dalmatian. Or if you’d like to meet her in person then come along to our End of Summer Party on 29th September - she will be there!
Archie is always looking to meet new friends so if you’d like to be featured next then let us know.