AUF WIEDERSEHEN PETS
Chelsea star Kai reveals how a four-legged friend has helped him settle after big-money move from Germany
KAI HAVERTZ used to rescue donkeys and once had a horse in his garden – but believes it was man’s best friend who has helped him settle in England.
Chelsea’s £71million Germany international is a big animal lover.
And the 21-year-old bought a golden retriever to help him and his girlfriend adapt to life in London after his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Havertz has revealed his family used to have a horse in their garden when he was growing up, and how his love of animals all started with a donkey.
He said: “When I was very young we had a lot of animals at home.
“We had a German Shepherd, a cat, rabbits, guinea pigs, and there was a time we had a horse in the garden.
“At weekends, I used to go to a forest in Aachen with my family and the dog. We would all get on a horse and ride it for one hour in the forest.
“My sister rode horses a lot so I would often go with her and watch her.
“When I was about nine, my parents gave me a cuddly donkey for my birthday.
“I loved this small animal so much I told my parents some day I want to have a donkey or a farm with donkeys. Then for my 17th birthday, my parents gave me a partnership with rescue donkeys.
“For example, donkeys that had come from the circus or the zoo and had been badly treated. You would pay money every month and then the people would get food for them and look after them.
“They gave me the partnership for three donkeys, and I could visit them and spend time with them.
“One day, there was one donkey at the butcher who was eight or nine-months-old, and this guy who had all the donkeys said to me, ‘He’s at the butcher, can you help?’ I said, ‘Of course’ It all started with this donkey.
“There are now four donkeys next to the house where my parents used to live. My parents, my sister and my grandmother are taking care of them. They are getting more and more in the next few years.” Havertz endured a slow start to his Blues career but now has five goals and seven assists in all competitions this season. And he reckons the decision he made with his girlfriend to buy a puppy has helped him settle in his new home. Havertz said: “We decided when we came here that we needed a garden and we needed a dog.
“It was clear for a while but I used to live in a flat in Germany with no garden and we didn’t have enough space for a dog. After one or two months here, we searched for the right one. We visited some. We didn’t like the breeders who only wanted to make money off the dog.
“We found the right person, and now we have had him for six or seven months.
“His name is Baloo.We are very happy with him.
“I live in Wimbledon so I go to Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Bushy Park with Baloo. There are lots of good walks around here.”