Life
It's no secret that Meghan Markle — or, as she's properly known now, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan — is an animal lover and passionate supporter of non-profit causes. So, the news of her latest charity venture probably won't surprise you. But what you might not know, is that Meghan's history with dog adoption traces back to her life before becoming a royal. On Wednesday, Meghan stepped out in London to visit one of her newest patronages, an animal welfare organization called The Mayhew Animal Home & Humane Education Centre.
There, she toured the facility, met a few lucky pups, and talked with the board about future initiatives they will be working on together. All around, Meghan's visit to Mayhew was an effort to raise awareness about the stunning organization, which helps to keep dogs and cats off the streets and happy and healthy in loving homes. According to Mayhew's mission statement, the organization has been helping with both community and international veterinary efforts since opening in 1886 as a cat rescue.
Some of the priorities discussed with Meghan included animal therapy (Therapaws), homeless pet owner outreach, and efforts to administer international rabies vaccinations. But while this partnership is new for Meghan, her work with rescues began a long time ago when Meghan adopted her dogs Bogart and Guy.
Bogart
Bogart was Meghan's first rescue dog, a Labrador-Shepherd mix. According to an interview with Canada's Best Health, Bogart was Meghan's first dog, ever. On a whim visit to a Toronto dog shelter, the young pup caught her eye. Upon a chance encounter with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, according to the mag, DeGeneres encouraged Meghan to get the dog so much that she actually did. Over the course of Meghan's time in Toronto, she posted many pictures of Bogart on her now deleted Instagram, and even made sure to tag the photos with #adoption to encourage her fans to make the same choice she did. When it came time to move to London officially, however, Bogart's age and health were deemed to fragile to accompany her. Instead, Bogart was adopted by friends of Meghan's who already had a relationship with the dog after sitting for him often when Meghan traveled.
Guy
Guy, Meghan's second dog, is a floppy-eared 17-pound beagle with a rag-to-riches story so iconic, there's even a children's book based on it. Guy was rescued from a kill shelter and then rescued by Meghan, who not only gave him a great life in Toronto, but also brought him with her to live a life of royalty in London. Guy is still by Meghan's side, but if you want to learn about his fantasy adventures, you can get yourself a copy of "His Royal Dogness, Guy the Beagle: The Rebarkable True Story of Meghan Markle's Rescue Dog" which came out in November 2018. Guy reportedly lives with Meghan and Prince Harry, thoroughly enjoying a comfortable life in the UK — and perhaps also enjoying the company of a new brother. Though there's been no official announcement, rumors circulated this summer that Meghan and Harry adopted a black lab named Oz, too — but we're still waiting for photos of him, if that rumor is true.
