BOBBY
Patient, humble and loving
Bobby had lived in a shelter for most of his 6 years, ever since he was found as a puppy. He had been adopted once before, but was returned. His lucky day came, when Marleen, a Dutch traveller who was exploring Portugal in her camper van, decided it was the right time to welcome a dog into her life. She went to the shelter, Aanifeira, in Mosteiró and met Bobby. "Bobby was really afraid, but there was still something in me like, it’s just Bobby you know, this is the dog.”
“It was really hard in the beginning. I had a feeling like maybe I’m selfish to adopt this dog…Maybe he was better in the shelter because that was a safe place for him. But I was just giving a lot of trust and patience so it was getting better and better." Now, if you could see Bobby running along the beach, playing fetch with Marleen, you will see a dog who is extremely happy with his new life. “He was really like a closed flower, but with a little bit of water, a little bit sunshine, a little bit of love, he is getting more open…It’s special you know, he’s 6 years
old and still learning…Bobby makes me sometimes very emotional. Now it’s a dog, but it’s for every living creature on this earth, you can grow you know if you have the right environment. Every creature can grow.”
Marleen started her adventure alone, but now travels back home to the Netherlands with a partner, a baby on the way and Bobby. “Bobby was there the whole time and I had a lot of time to walk with him, to manage things in my life. I think that’s why we are really connected…Bobby is so patient and in my normal life it was kind of a restless feeling, so Bobby showed me everyday just be patient…He teaches me a lot.”
“I really believe that every situation is meant to be you know…It was also with Bobby, this is meant to be in the end.” Bobby, who sat waiting in a shelter for 6 years, is now part of a soon to be expanded family, spending his days running on the beach, travelling to new places and receiving lots of love. “Everyday, I’m so thankful with Bobby.”
