Community / French tourist brings her Shetland sheepdog to the isles to reunite him with his roots
“COMING to Shetland has been magical,” says Danaé Canero after driving from south of France to experience the isles. “I was taken aback by the wild and beautiful landscapes here”
She adopted her dog Ayko when he was a puppy, travelling 30 hours by car up to the north of France to pick him up.
Despite the Japanese name, Ayko is a Shetland sheepdog, and when she adopted him she made a promise to bring him to the place his breed comes from.
Now the dog has been reunited with his roots after the pair made the lengthy trip from France to Shetland.
She said: “It has been a dream to come to Shetland and share this moment with Ayko. I can see how happy he is to be here, and how proud he is of the island.”
After making the journey back home with her new pup, Canero realised Ayko loved travelling in the car. Since then, she has taken him on plenty of road trips across Switzerland, Italy, and Spain.
But the trip to Shetland is the furthest she has come with him. The duo started their journey in Canero’s hometown Antibes on the south coast of France.
Having Ayko has given her the courage to travel alone: “With him I do things I would never have done alone.
“This has been such a big test for me travelling so far away from home as a 22-year-old woman by myself.”
After driving through France, they caught the Channel Tunnel shuttle before driving the entire length of the UK to catch the NorthLink ferry in Aberdeen.
Canero added that the most challenging part was getting used to driving on a different side of the road.
While in Shetland last week the pair have been on plenty of walks despite the cold and frosty weather, exploring Scalloway, Lerwick and Burra.
She said: “It’s been difficult because of the weather but I didn’t want to stay in after coming all the way here. So, we’ve been out on walks every day we could.”
At home Canero works with cats and dogs who are boarded in kennels and catteries and hopes this will be the first of many adventures for her and Ayko to the isles.
She added: “This trip to Shetland has only been for four days but I want to come back and see it again. It’s so beautiful here.”
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