Mum-of-one: “I love my dog more than my husband & son!”

Animal lover Angela Garvin freely admits that her french bulldog frenchie is number one in her affections…

When Angela Garvin gets in W from her job as a legal secretary, there’s one face she’s longing to see – and it’s not her 13-year-old son Daniel’s, or even that of her solicitor husband Peter, 45. It’s her French Bulldog, Frenchie.

Angela, who lives in Romford, Essex, says: “I always feel excited coming home because I get to see Frenchie. As soon as he hears my keys in the lock, he runs to the door and bangs against it trying to get to me. He’s unfailingly happy to see me. I’ll pick him up and we’ll have a lovely cuddle – he’ll snuggle into me and give me a lick and I’ll feel so happy.

“My son and husband may grunt a ‘hello’ if they’re home. Both of them are sports mad, so they’re often out playing football, or Daniel will be with his friends. He’s so independent these days – all I am to him is a taxi service. I do love them both, just not quite in the same way as Frenchie – or as much!”

not very Maternal

Angela, 47, has always been an animal lover and has had pets for as long as she can remember.

She explains: “Growing up, we always had dogs. My first was an Alsatian called Judy when I was seven and then we had a staffie called Cassie. I’ve always found them better company than people – they’re definitely more straightforward. They ask nothing more from you than to be loved and I have a natural affinity with them.”

Angela admits she’s never been particularly maternal and hadn’t planned on having children when she met her husband Peter at work 16 years ago. Luckily, he likes dogs too.

She says: “I didn’t think I could have children as I had bad fibroids and never had regular periods – but it didn’t worry me at all and Peter wasn’t bothered about having kids, either. I was five months pregnant with Daniel before I even realised I was expecting!

“The first six months after he was born were mayhem. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and went into survivor mode. I spent most of the time on the phone to my mum asking for help! Luckily, she lives nearby and would come over a lot.

“I love Daniel very much; it’s just that it’s not nearly as simple as loving an animal. Animals love you unconditionally, with no boundaries. People on the other hand are very complicated, judgemental and have lots of expectations.”

Instant connection

Angela didn’t plan on getting a French bulldog – in fact, she’d originally wanted a rescue dog. But three years ago, she visited a friend whose bulldog was pregnant and she offered her a puppy free of charge.

Angela says: “As soon as I saw

Frenchie, I fell in love with him. It was one of those ‘click’ moments and I knew I had to have him. He cocked his head and looked at me as if he was saying, ‘take me.’”

Now Angela and Frenchie are rarely apart. She admits: “We used to go on family holidays abroad, but since I’ve had Frenchie I refuse to leave the UK. This year, we spent three days in Brighton and I left him with my mum, but I missed him so much – far more than I’d miss my husband and son, who I can at least talk to on the phone.

“Frenchie’s got such a great character, though I admit he’s pretty demanding – I call him Big Man because he’s very alpha! But he’s always happy and fairly mad. One of his favourite things to do is backflips on the sofa! He stays with family when I’m at work, but I get up at 6.30am to take him for a morning walk and we go again in the evening. He loves riding in the car with me, too; he sits on the passenger seat with the window down.”

PAMPERED POOCH

Nothing is too much trouble when it comes to Frenchie. Angela even lays a place for him at the table and he eats with the family, either on his chair or her lap, where she feeds him titbits from her plate. She admits she spends around £4,000 a year on him and she only feeds him roast chicken or premium dog foods. He’s regularly taken to a beauty parlour to get a shampoo and his nails clipped, and even gets his teeth polished occasionally at £25 a time. Angela admits she’s so paranoid about his health and wellbeing that she’s a regular at her local vet. She also likes to buy him a new matching lead and collar at least once a month.

On his birthday, she’ll buy him a special dog cake and wrap up some toys for him, complete with a gift tag. At Christmas, he gets a stocking as well as presents.

Angela laughs: “My friends think I’m absolutely potty and tell me I’ll be left all alone as a mad dog spinster! I’m not sure I’d mind that too much!”

Frenchie is always snuggled up with her on the sofa every night, and even sleeps in her bed – between her and Peter.

She says: “I think it’s fair to say that my husband isn’t a huge fan of Frenchie. He complains that he snores at night and that his bark is annoying. But we do still have a ‘normal marriage.’

“Daniel makes remarks about how I fuss over the dog more than him! I will always do Frenchie’s food first, but Daniel is big enough now to make his own sandwich – and Frenchie can’t. I do love them both, but I love Frenchie more – I’m completely besotted.”

❛animals love you unconditionally – people are more complicated❜