Fudge (left) and Giana (right)
Written by Caryn Allen, Treasurer at The Lucky Lucy Foundation, and Ivanna Combrinck
Professional photography by elysian
Fudge, Fidget and Giana were surrendered to The Lucky Lucy Foundation as puppies. In the twelve years the three dogs were with us, nobody expressed any interest in adopting them.
Due to the snake population on the current farm, we keep all the dogs in camps, and Giana has always got on with all her campmates. Both Fudge and Giana are very sociable dogs and were always volunteer favourites. Giana has such an amazing nature that she was a free-roaming dog on the old farm, but when the previous caretaker left and resorted to nocturnal theft of the free-roaming dogs, we had to lock her up overnight in safe quarters.
After spending twelve years in our care, we’re so over the moon for these two very special dogs and wish them years of love and happiness. And for those wondering about Fidget, he is still with us and waiting for a special retirement home offer as well! Although he suffers from severe arthritis and requires chronic medication, he remains a volunteer favourite and receives spoils every Saturday.
Ivanna Combrinck, Fudge and Giana’s new guardian, shares...
In 2017, my husband, Marcelle, and I did our first double adoption from The Lucky Lucy Foundation. Rusty and Aiko were there the longest (since 2009 for Rusty and 2010 for Aiko). We were lucky to have had almost three and a half years with them. They loved each other so much and bonded so well that they passed away less than two months apart.
For a few months, our birds, Blaire and Bo, were our only living babies until a cat pawed at our front door to be let in. Upon looking through old photographs, we found a photo of him sitting on the porch looking at Aiko and Rusty, who were staring at him through a window. After asking around, we learnt that he was in need of a home as he spent his days taking care of himself and sleeping in our neighbour’s garden. After learning that he needed a home, he became our baby. We named him Klaus, and being our first cat, he trained us to care for him.
Klaus passed away unexpectedly, leaving us less than two years after he joined our family. Our home was once again very quiet once Blaire and Bo went to bed. Knowing that we had so much love to give, we reached out to different shelters to find out which one had the dogs who’d been waiting the longest to be adopted. It turned out to be LLF, just like in 2017. Since my first dog’s name was Lucy, I was certain that this was meant to be.
Within three days of meeting Giana and Fudge, we brought them home. Fudge was very nervous at first. It took him about a week to settle in, but now he knows that this is his forever home. He follows us everywhere we go and just wants affection. He’s a very gentle boy and always comes running to be petted. He loves to try new food and treats and play with his toys. He enjoys running around with his teddy bear and tearing up cardboard boxes for fun.
Giana settled in instantly. She loves to sleep and relax in her different beds. She’s super confident and decides her own schedule. She’ll get out of bed in the morning when she feels like it, not when an alarm tells her to, but goes to bed at the same time each night. She has bursts of energy where she runs up and down the passage much faster than we expected a fourteen-year-old to.
We’ve only had them for a few weeks now, but they’re both loved dearly. Fudge’s constant smile and Giana’s ever-wagging tail have already solidified a spot in our hearts.
