Sprout, aka Madam Sprout Bellatrix Hufflepup Rosa (Mum is a Harry Potter fan) is a 4 year old Parsons Russell who lives with Helen in Parsons Green. Helen met Sprout at Battersea Dogs Home 3 years ago. Back then she was called Bella and was very neglected. She was so thin she had to wear a cat collar because dog collars were too big. She also had a bad case of kennel cough.
Helen had just moved to London and missed having a furry friend around the house and when she met Sprout she knew she had found her new companion.
At first Sprout was really shy but eventually she climbed on Helen’s lap and got a big red lipstick kiss on the head - her first of many!
We asked Sprout about her London life:
What do you love most about living in London?
I love everything about living in London! I get to ride the tube! Usually, mummy says people don't really speak to each other but when I'm on the train I make lots of new friends. I go everywhere! I like going to East London to Unity Diner and Spice Box (it's very rare to find a curry house that lets dogs in I'm told), Central London has Duck and Rice and Camden has Rudy's dirty Vegan Diner. And all the parks of course. I even did a big wee outside Buckingham Palace! I can be a bit scared on the stairs and when the train gets busy but it helps when someone nice says hello to me.
We love that you go all over the city to explore. What dog friendly places do you recommend locally?
There is so many good places for me to visit in Parsons Green. My favourite is Tell your Friends, it's a vegan restaurant owned by Lucy and Tiffany Watson (they used to be on Made in Chelsea and they are both huge dog lovers!). Mummy walks right by there with me most days and every time I try to go inside to say hi to all my friends that work there! They always give me a bowl of water and lots of head scratches. I also love the White Horse and Aragon House.
They all sound great places for mummy to eat. What food and treats do you enjoy?
I get my food made for me at Tails.com and I love it! For treats I like whatever mummy is eating... especially if I can steal it when she's not looking. Some of the restaurants I go to give me special treats, like Rudy’s Diner in Camden, they always cut a carrot into a bone shape for me! I love that! One of my favourite toys is a carrot I got free with my doggy afternoon tea at Egerton house hotel.
Ooh we like the sound of Rudy’s can we come with you next time? Where do like to go to walk off all those treats?
Walkies? Did someone say walkies? Quick! Mummy grab my poo bags! I love Bishops Park and then walking along the Thames path by the river. There are some really nice dog friendly pubs that give me a bowl of water when I get a bit warm on the walk (Crabtree, The Old Ship, The Blue Anchor). I also love Hurlingham Park, especially during the polo. It's dog friendly! And you get to say hi to really big dogs that have people riding on their backs... mummy calls them horses.
When it’s time for a break from the city, where do like to go?
I love visiting my granddad and his two border terriers Melrose and Harlow in Cheshire on holiday! They are my best friends! They go with me to Macclesfield Forest and the Peak District so I can act like a country dog! I've also been to Manchester to visit my Auntie Ellie and was surprised that they let me in so many places in the Northern Quarter. I also went on a weekend holiday to Wriggly Tin in Hambledon Portsmouth. It was so much fun. I chased rabbits! There are a few shepherds huts in a big meadow that's closed in by a fence so I could roam around without mummy worrying about me going too far.
Do you have a favourite outfit you like to wear?
I don't dress up much except at Halloween... I've been a pirate and a dinosaur so far but usually I like to just wear my collar.
We’d like to see you as a pirate! What else do you do to make mum laugh?
When I get excited I like to show off my dance moves and chase my tail. I like to be warm so sometimes I climb under peoples tops to get extra cosy. That makes everyone laugh I don't know why.
What plans do you have for the rest of 2019?I see a lot of eating in my future.
I can't wait to go to some of the two terriers social meet ups so me and mummy can make more friends as sometimes we have trouble doing that.
Who do you like to follow on Instagram?
One of my favourite people is @dogs_and_olyfly. She looked after me when mummy went to Dublin for Auntie Caz and Uncle Benj’s wedding. I love looking at her Instagram because she always shares pictures of her other furry friends and really nice quotes about dogs, especially ones like me that need extra love (I have separation anxiety)
I also love @starlett_the_westie who goes to schools and help kids learn to read.
We love Starlett, she has some great photos. What are your favourite Instagrammable places?
I love posing especially at Flavourtown bakery... they have a lovely flower wall and unlike some other london cake shops they let me in! I also love Megans by the green as it's so pretty!