An Angel of Love Called Charlie!

With our 100th Issue let’s celebrate Charlie, a charming Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who came into the family of H.E. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to India and is all love. It all started with Reuben’s daughter Alisa who wanted to bring home a pet!

Charlie

H.E.Reuben, Alisa, Charlie & Dr Olga

H.E. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to India, with his wife Dr Olga V Gauci, daughter Alisa and four-legged furry son Charlie currently resides in New Delhi. Charlie is close to Dr Olga, but it was Alisa who had lobbied hard to bring him home. “The thought seemed difficult because of our lifestyle. We travel from one country to another from time to time and it was quite challenging for us to move with a pet,” says H.E. Reuben.

Love at first sight
However, when Alisa kept insisting, H.E. and his wife eventually decided to go for a small breed—a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They met five-month-old Charlie in Israel, Dr Olga says it was love at first sight. “He brings more love to us and opens our heart towards animals in general and dogs in particular. Now I totally agree with many people who call dog an angel,” she adds.

H.E. Reuben agrees, “Dogs teach us unconditional love and will always be true friends. Dr Olga had a cat when she was young and was unsure of handling a dog. “May be it could be due to my lack of experience with a dog. But today, Charlie has changed my perception and I simply adore him,” she adds.

H.E. Reuben continues, “I still remember the first night Charlie came home in Israel. He was worried and filled with anxiety of moving into a new place. But later, he coped well and easily adapted to all the new places we moved to.”

Our magnetic communicator
Charlie is a face reader. He can read facial expressions. “When I am a little upset, he turns his head, looks at me, tries to read my eyes and starts to cuddle me,” narrates Dr Olga. H.E. Reuben shares, “In June 2020, I underwent a minor surgery in Palestine. When I returned home Charlie never left my side and tried to comfort me.”

As soon as Dr Olga gets ready Charlie looks at her as if asking, “Are you taking me with you?” Charlie knows some fun games and commands that Dr Olga has taught him.

“Once in Jerusalem, I left him home alone with some treats which he normally likes. When I returned I found the treats remained untouched. As I opened the door he greeted me and started eating the treats. He wanted to show me he was upset to spend time alone at home,” shares Dr Olga.

A smile in his heart
Being a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, Charlie has a unique facial expression. “Some people say they look sad all the time and have a melancholic face. But it’s just their feature; it doesn’t reflect their emotions. Sometimes I feel Charlie is always smiling,” says Dr Olga. She adds that many articles reveal that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels work as therapy dogs. They bring down anxiety issues and take care of patients.

Bonded with love
“In Jerusalem, my daughter would go for her piano lesson with Charlie beside her. Alisa treats him like her brother and along with love and bonding, they sometimes fight for momma’s attention and affection,” chuckles Dr Olga.

Travelling bandwagon
Charlie is a seasoned traveller with the Gauci family. “He accompanies us and recently travelled with us to Jaipur and Agra. In fact, we are exploring India with Charlie,” says H.E. Reuben, adding that there are some dog-friendly hangout places like Quick Fox and Cafe Dori in Delhi where Charlie enjoys yummy food.

Pawpular Charlie
Dr Olga says Charlie is quite a popular public figure. “We are more recognised as Charlie’s pet parents and regularly walk him in nearby parks. One day I went to a departmental store without Charlie by my side. Two boys came to me and asked “Where is your dog?” Charlie has become popular within a few months of our stay in India,” she mentions.

Quality time together
“When I return from the High Commission Office, he immediately comes to me and our togetherness naturally turns out to be the best time ever. He is not demanding. He enjoys sitting and cuddling next to me wherever I am in the house, whether on the computer or on a living room couch. This is how we give quality time to each other,” adds H.E. Reuben.

On responsible pet parenting, H.E. Reuben and Dr Olga say pets are family, we should love them unconditionally as they love us!
PawFun
Favourite Activities Together: Playing fun games.
Quality You Love: Charlie always wants to sleep with us.
Annoying Habit: He tries to get food from our dining table.