Sophie From Romania: What a rescue dog taught me about patience, love and hope

'How do you welcome someone new into your heart and home?'

A week before Christmas, newly retired BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones receives a special delivery that will change his life.

This is the story of rescue dog #SophieFromRomania.

In January 2022, the Cellan-Jones-Coyle family said goodbye to their beloved elderly Collie cross, Cabbage. She and Rory had become inseparable during daily pandemic walks, which alleviated his Parkinson’s symptoms. After a grief-stricken year, Rory and his wife Diane come across a listing for ‘a kind girl who loves everybody and is just looking for her forever home’.

Bright-eyed, big-eared and trembling, Sophie arrives in London on 17 December 2022. Rory holds the Romanian rescue in his arms, excited for their first walk together – but the road ahead will be a long one.

This book follows the real journey of Sophie’s adoption – from her battles with anxiety, to the joys of play and her first time outside – as Rory and Diane work with expert dog trainer Si to win Sophie’s trust and navigate Rory’s Parkinson’s disease.

This is a moving story of love, kindness and a lot of patience, paying tribute to rescue dogs and their tender community.