Tayo is an energetic bundle of joy who brightens Shanaz’s day no matter how bleak it is. And not surprisingly, Tayo is not only her best friend, but is also her family. 

Name: Tayo 
Breed: Labrador 
Age: 2 years 
Owner: Shanaz Fouze 

How did you find your Tayo? 

She was presented to me by my two brothers for my 23rd birthday as a surprise. 

What’s the story behind the name you've given her? 

Tayo - it means we in Filipino. Tayo was the doggy bear I got after I lost my first doggy 4 years ago. Scooby was family, he was - 'we', so wanted to name Tayo 'we', but it was weird so changed it to a different language. 

What are meal times and bath times like? 

Two meals a day, and maybe fruits and all the random stuff we give her. But bananas are her favourite, and once a week we take her to the beach for a swim. 

What’s her favourite thing to do? 

Tayo's favourite thing to do is to eat. She’s a fatty and loves to eat and to swim. She's a great swimmer. When we go to the beach she swims and makes it back without any help. 

What’s the naughtiest thing she has done? 

There is a huge dustbin in the back of our house that all the decomposed garbage is put into. Once when we were all looking for Tayo and she was nowhere to be found, my mother spotted her inside the huge bin eating banana peels. When she asked Tayo what she was doing there, Tayo tried to sit and hide herself from us and refused to come out. So after about 45 minutes and struggling so much she got out of the enormous bin, pretended that nothing happened and just walked past all of us. 

How does she react when you return home? 

Tayo usually stays near the gate when it's close to the time I get off work. But when I get late my mom has told me that she stays by the door waiting for me, and when I return she brings me something to greet me, at least a leaf or a stick. 

Does she do anything out of the ordinary that fascinates you? 

Yes! Whenever I'm sick she never leaves my side no matter how hungry she is. Once I had food poisoning and I was alone at home, with no one to feed the dog. I fell asleep and woke up at around 3:00AM and went back to sleep. But not even once did Tayo leave my side until the next morning. She’s always by my side when I don’t feel good. It’s very weird how she knows that I'm not feeling well, and she never troubles me. 

What’s the best thing about her? 

How she gets on bed every night and sleeps right next to me. 

What was the most unforgettable moment you've shared with Tayo? 

The day I got her, she was three weeks old and I've never held such a tiny puppy. She was really calm, and when I was screaming my head off in excitement, she cuddled up to a ball and fell asleep on my lap.