Meet Zac, Kerneels, and Smeagol. Rather than one Pet of the Week this week, we have triple the delight. This terrific trio, who get on exceedingly well, live in Riverstick with their mom Alexa Du Plessis, their dad Marzelle, and their human siblings, Ayla and Noah. Zac is a ten-year-old Shih Tzu who was adopted by Alexa, over a year ago, from the West Cork Animal Welfare Group.
'His original owners wanted to put him down because of an eye infection,' says Alexa. Luckily, Zac landed on his feet with his new family in Riverstick. However, due to him being born with a malformed spine, he has to stay on his feet, with no jumping.
'We have doggy steps everywhere for him,' says Alexa. 'He's on medication for life and can't go for long walks. But Zac is always close to us and will follow us everywhere. He has a blanket that he carries around wherever he goes, and he loves nothing more than playing with his two-year-old human sister. He sleeps like a potato, with his legs in the air. Zac is super-loveable!'
Zac's two other animal siblings, Kerneels and Smeagol, come from much further afield, as they were brought to Riverstick from South Africa when Alexa moved here.
Kerneels is a fifteen-year-old Congo African Grey Parrot.
'I got him when he was a baby and I was seventeen years old,' says Alexa, who works in the Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic in Kinsale. 'He is very high maintenance and is on a specialised diet of pellets, fruit, veg, and nuts. He is very clever and knows about thirty-nine words, but mostly he just loves to dance. He moved with us from South Africa, and we had to fill in a lot of paperwork, and do blood tests, to get him here. He is considered an endangered animal. Having him is so rewarding and fun. He loves to walk around the house chasing the dogs, and his favourite room is the bathroom because of the acoustics.'
Last but not least is the adorable 1.4kg Yorkshire Terrier, Smeagol. 'Now eleven, Smeagol was the runt of the litter and because of this, he is unfortunately not the healthiest,' says Alexa. 'He has had three operations to remove bladder-stones, but he is the most lovely dog. He is great with kids, and he loves babies. He also loves swimming and he has a teddy that he goes to bed with, that he will chew for ages.'
Pet of the Week is proudly sponsored by Pet Essentials, Carrigaline. If you would like to put your pet forward for Pet of the Week, please send your
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