Interview: Nella and Atlas

Pets, they’re your best friend and confidant. Big or small, fluffy or a bit scruffy, it doesn’t matter, we love them all. They’re there for you unconditionally and the feeling is mutual. Our interview series celebrates this special bond between animals and hoomans. Let the awws begin.

Doggos: Nella (six years old) or Nutella, Banana, and in Cantonese: fei mui, chi sin por; Atlas (seven years old) or in Cantonese: Feiwan, big eye tik tok

Home: Hong Kong

Nella (Shiba Inu) was a breeder dog, and was abandoned at a dog shelter when she was around four years old. My friends ended up fostering her (even though they were supposed to foster a Corgi!) because she was a more "urgent" case. They had to leave Hong Kong for a month-long work trip, so I fostered her while they were away. Obviously I got overly attached, and when they decided they couldn't give her a forever home, I could not let her go and she came home with me.

Atlas was adopted as a puppy, sadly his parents split up and he was found locked up on a rooftop (for god knows how many years) with another Poodle. He and the Poodle were rescued by a dog volunteer and placed with a foster family. I saw his photo and fell head over heels, filled in an adoption form and arranged to meet him several times. The rest is history.

How did I come up with their names? Nella came with her name and Atlas just sounds nice and it reads like "at last" which is what I hope he feels - home, at last.

As for their personalities, Nella is quiet, very cat-like, does not appreciate being caressed, is food OBSESSED and eats way too fast. She can be quite sweet when she feels safe with someone (which takes a while). Nella likes to dig sand/dirt to cover her pee but usually it's in the wrong direction or on concrete floor, or she thinks biting her toy counts as "fetch" and then looks at me for her reward.

Atlas is very out-going, friendly, and loves being pet at all times, but dislikes being man-handled. Atlas is a picky eater, and will bite if he thinks his toy/food is being taken away.

A typical day for these two starts off with scratching mama's room door at 6am to be let out to the living room, or bark (Nella) when she hears the security guard come in for work. Then they laze around until breakfast time at 7am, go out for a walk at 9am, come home and grab a post-walk snack and sleeeeeeeeep (until the hooman gets home). Dinner is between 6-7pm, then it’s the night walk around 9pm. Afterwards we go home and wind down for the night.

Since bringing Nella and Atlas home, my life has changed a million times over. The way they look at you like you're the best thing on earth is the best feeling.

Follow Nella and Atlas and their adventures on Instagram here.