06/09/2026
I’m currently travelling through Vietnam, and today my heart is absolutely breaking for a little toy poodle named Lucky. 💔
Lucky lives in a cage. Not just overnight. Not just for a few hours.
24 hours a day. Every day.
At the moment, she has her four little two-month-old puppies in the cage with her. They don’t get taken out to run, explore or play. The babies have never really experienced what puppies should — playing, being cuddled, chasing things and discovering the world around them.
And their diet? Rice. Just rice.
So this morning…I did something a little naughty. 😬
I sectioned off a safe little area, opened the cage door and let the puppies OUT.
Oh my goodness. ❤️
Watching them realise they could run around and play was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. They played with me, explored everything and absolutely loved every second of their little taste of freedom.
A couple of days ago, I picked Lucky up and held her.
At first, she was trembling uncontrollably. She was absolutely terrified. I just held her gently and gave her time. Slowly, the trembling stopped. Her little body relaxed into my arms as she realised I wasn’t going to hurt her.
The owners came past and said, “She’s vicious.”
I said, “No, she’s not. She’s misunderstood.”
They looked at me in disbelief and asked, “How can you hold her like that? She’s aggressive.”
And all I could think was…
Wouldn’t you be frightened and defensive too if your entire world was the inside of a cage?
Right now, Lucky at least has the company of her four babies. But soon those puppies will be gone, and she’ll be back in that cage alone.
No walks.
No grass beneath her feet.
No exploring.
No playing.
No cuddles.
No real life outside those bars.
She simply eats and sleeps in that cage.
As someone who has spent so much of my life working with dogs, I find this incredibly painful to watch.
Lucky isn’t vicious.
She’s a frightened little dog who has never been given the opportunity to learn that humans can be kind.
And this morning, for just a little while, her babies got to simply be puppies. ❤️🐾
I only wish I could open Lucky’s cage too…and never have to close it again. 💔
