CULTURE
Isle of Dogs: Part 2
We continue our series of interviews and photos of local dogs and their owners on their daily walkies
We’ve already established that Britain is a nation of dog lovers. And London City Island is home to a number of furry friends of all shapes and sizes. In fact, dogs and their owners going for daily walks and catching up with their friends is a common sight. The island is verdant and largely pedestrianised, making it safe for dogs to roam, and it’s close to popular nearby green spaces and parks. So we decided to photograph some local dogs and their owners to learn more about our canine residents and what they enjoy most about life at London City Island.
Name: Milo
Breed: Jack-Chi
Age: 1 year
Favourite food: Roast lamb treats
Favourite toy: Squeaky squirrel
Favourite local walking route: By the river, watching the seagulls
Naughtiest habit: Chases and barks at wheels (on luggage, cars, scooters etc.)
Best habit: Very helpful with household chores
Best friend: My sister, Nala
Most impressive trick: A wolf howl and dancing on back legs
Best thing about living on London City Island: I am actually a country dog but sometimes I come to the Island for holidays with my owners’ family – I love all the new smells and sights
Milo with his owner
Milo is a big fan of roast lamb treats and his squeaky squirrel
Name: Alfred
Breed: Beagle
Age: 1 year
Favourite food: Chicken and cheese and steak for special occasions
Favourite toy: Anything that squeaks
Favourite local walking route: Anywhere he can sniff or meet other dogs
Naughtiest habit: Chewing anything that he isn’t allowed to; his favourite are socks and shoes
Best habit: He loves big cuddles first thing in the morning
Best friend: Any dog or human, he loves attention from anywhere
Most impressive trick: The ability to eat anything in two seconds
Best thing about living on London City Island: All the other dogs to play with
Alfred the beagle with his owner Leith
“Best thing about living on London City Island? All the other dogs to play with”
Alfred the beagle
Name: Whoopi
Breed: Shih Tzu
Age: Almost 8 years old
Favourite treat: Chewing treat made of duck
Favourite toy: Squeaky elephant
Favourite local walking route: All the grass around London City Island – especially the grass where the turtle statue is (behind the Defoe Building)
Naughtiest habit: Wakes mummy and daddy in the middle of the night to be carried to bed (the same bed she goes on her own to during the day)
Best habit: She loves to cuddle together – she’s a calm and sweet dog. Absolutely lovely
Best friend: Best dog friend is Marley. Best human friends are Thati and Ana
Most impressive trick: She does a high five and knows how to spin – but everything has a price (one or two treats)
Best thing about living on London City Island: The great community spirit, all the dog friends and our evenings together!
Whoopi with her owner Natana
Name: Cooper
Breed: Golden Retriever
Age: 17 months
Favourite food: Everything edible! (But mostly sausages)
Favourite toy: Squeaky ball
Favourite local walking route: Eco Park and Basin
Worst habit: Cooper tends to destroy papers and boxes and leave small pieces all over the house. The good part is that he does that only with things we give him for that purpose
Best habit: He is super chill, very cuddly and friendly with everyone, sometimes even too much
Best friend: He loves everyone, but Marta is his favourite person. I would say that his favourite dog is Lilo, a beautiful Cocker Spaniel
Most impressive trick: He can sleep roughly 15 hours per day. That’s not a trick but quite impressive in my opinion
Best thing about living on London City Island: We love the ambiance here; nice people, many other dogs for Cooper to play with, great facilities within the Island and green spacious areas for long walks
Cooper and his owner Daniel
London City Island is a haven for dogs
“We love the ambiance on London City Island; nice people, many other dogs for Cooper to play with, great facilities within the Island and green spacious areas for long walks”
Daniel and his Golden Retriever Cooper
Name: Doris
Breed: Pug/Jack Russel cross (Jug)
Age: 8
Favourite food: Fish And popcorn
Favourite toy: Mini teddy bear
Favourite local walking route: We are lucky to live so close to Greenwich – that’s Doris’s favourite park in London. She gets super excited from the moment we step out from DLR at Cutty Sark
Naughtiest habit: Scavenging
Best habit: Loves to be with us at a pub. Especially if they have a couch
Most impressive trick: Rolling; again and again and again
Best thing about living on London City Island: Being close to Greenwich, big dog community, big balcony for Doris to lap up the sun
Doris with her owner Robert
Charlie the Cavapoochon loves having lots of space to explore and play
Name: Charlie
Breed: Cavapoochon
Age: 6 months
Favourite treat: Dry chicken jerky
Favourite toy: Squeaky rhino
Favourite local walking route: Along Bridgewater House all the way to the playground near Amelia House
Naughtiest habit: Barking at delivery men
Best habit: Loves to wake up with cuddles and kisses
Most impressive trick: Understands commands in Spanish and English
Best thing about living on London City Island: Being surrounded by other friendly dogs and having lots of space to explore and play
Charlie understands both English and Spanish
Words: Gemma Billington
Photography: Lucy Mohr
With thanks to all the dogs and owners for taking part