Abandoned dog from Antigua finds new home on yacht after being rescued by head chef

While working on a superyacht in Antigua, professional chef Dee Momi found a 4 month old puppy shockingly tied to a branch on the side of the road. He was skinny, covered in fleas, and terrified.

"This was the first time I had walked this particular route. As I was walking along, I heard this continuous barking. He was quite camouflaged, I would never have found him had he not made so much noise".

Without a second thought, Dee untied Rumi and brought him back to the boat she was working on, where she set him up with a bed on deck for the next 7 days.

Rumi made fast friends with the rest of the crew.

"Our Captain and crew absolutely loved him from the moment he came onboard. It was a group effort. They all helped clean him up and feed him. We would play with him on our breaks, teach him games like fetch and I would spend my entire evening with him, taking him for walks and just hanging out with him".

Many of the big animal charities on the island were full or undergoing renovations at the time, so it was recommended that Dee drop Rumi off at a kennel for him to socialise with other dogs - which she found to be a heartbreaking experience.

"I knew he was in great hands, but I bawled my eyes out when I left him. He was just such a beautiful pup and it was so hard to let him go like that".

Just a month later, Dee was back in the UK and booking Rumi flights to come over and live with her. They had formed a strong bond on the boat in Antigua and Dee couldn't let that go.

"I'd always wanted a rescue, so I thought meeting him was too coincidental to not be destiny. He's great with other dogs, loves people, has enjoyed our sessions with a qualified trainer and goes to a great local doggy daycare once a week where he can run around off-leash and socialise with other pups."

Rumi now lives with Dee in the UK where she runs her plantbased supplement business MINT Wellbeing.