Timmy, Ginger and Mr Bean

Timmy and Mr Bean were rescued from a market, where they had been sold by a dealer who was later banned from keeping animals. Timmy was only a few months old when we brought him home, so he hadn’t suffered much.

However, Mr Bean had clearly been mistreated—he was terrified of everyone and everything at first. Over time, with love and care, he has become quite friendly with people he knows and trusts, though he remains shy around new faces.

Since their rescue, Timmy and Mr Bean have never spent a day apart; they are the best of friends. Lily and Ginger were bought from a market in 1995. Ginger, just four months old, was found curled up in the corner of a bare concrete pen.

He had been weaned far too early and was prodded to his feet by his owner, who repeatedly struck him with a stick to make him move around the sale ring. Janet bought him for £4 and took him home in the back of her Land Rover, laying him on a pile of blankets.

After months of care, veterinary treatment, and a special diet, Ginger thrived, blossomed, and eventually grew to a height of 32 inches. Lily was bought the same day for £8. She was also around four months old and far too young to be separated from her mother.

She had pigeon toes and an undershot jaw. The seller told Janet he didn’t think she would survive, but survive she did. Lily and Ginger remained inseparable from that day forward. When we had to say goodbye to Lily, Ginger needed a new companion.

Lily and Ginger had lived next door to Timmy and Mr Bean for many years, so Timmy and Mr Bean were more than happy for Ginger to join them. Timmy and Ginger love grooming each other, likely because, being the same height, they can reach all the best spots for one another!