The remarkable story of how a stray puppy survived a Macedonian 'kill shelter' to find a loving home

Marlene was born on the streets of Macedonia and spent the first nine months of her as a stray dog, struggling to survive. 

“She was picked up and neutered, then put back on the streets,” says Marlene’s owner Ian Duff. “Two days later, she made her way back to the kill shelter – imagine, trying to get into a kill shelter! – then she was rescued.” 

Marlene was lucky to be picked up by an organisation called Dia’s Legacy, which rehomes street dogs in other parts of Europe.  

“I got her in November last year,” Ian smiles. 

And this week she’s starring on the cover of Big Issue. Now that’s an incredible journey. 

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Ian Duff is a beloved Big Issue seller and coordinator in Bath. For many vendors, and people experiencing homelessness or other tough times, pets are a lifeline, offering companionship and connection. For years, Ian’s previous dog Boycie was a local legend in Bath. The pair were inseparable and a familiar sight on the city’s Union Street.

On Christmas Day 2021, Boycie died at the age of 16. More than 100 people came up to Ian to offer their condolences. It was some comfort. Then Dia’s Legacy got in touch to offer Ian a new dog, a Burmese/German Shepherd mix he called Trigger. 

“Trigger was hard work because he’d been traumatised by a previous adoption,” Ian says. “He obviously wasn’t treated very well. They were still feeding him puppy food as a one-year-old, so his stomach was really bad. I had to prepare food for him for the first year and a half to settle his stomach.” 

Incidentally, this would have made Trigger a very lucky pup. Ian has a sideline catering business, Duff Cooks, and Big Issue readers may remember some of the delicious recipes he shared with us during lockdown. But besides the diet, there was another problem. Due to his difficult life up to that point, Trigger had problems bonding. 

“That’s why I took the decision to get Marlene, to give him a friend because he craved company,” Ian says. 

He’s unsure of her breed but thinks there’s some whippet and maybe a bit of Beagle in there. Marlene arrived in the UK from Macedonia almost exactly a year ago. 

“Now Trigger’s a completely different dog. He’s more loving, he’s easier to control. He’s just generally much happier. The change in him is night and day. Everyone on the street notices: ‘Wow, how have you done that? You must be really good at training them, can you train my dog?!’ 

“They’re loved by all my customers and the people of Bath. Everyone knows their names. I enjoy taking them to work because they really enjoy being outside.” 

You’re no fool if you have spotted a pattern in the naming of Duff’s dogs.  

“When I got Boycie, I was running a pub in Peckham,” he says. “In the bar we had customers who were all like the characters in Only Fools and Horses. There was a Marlene that used to come in – she was only allowed two halves of Stella a day then she was cut off – loads of different people. But we didn’t have a Boycie, so that’s what I called the dog. Then, out of respect for Boycie, I named these two Trigger and Marlene to carry on the theme.” 

Ian Duff’s dogs have helped him through changes in his life. It’s far from being a unique story. 

In the seaside town of Whitby there’s Big Issue vendor Lacramoira Lazar. When her husband died of a heart attack aged 50, after 32 years together, she was devastated. 

“I felt that everything around me was ending,” she says. “But after many days crying, God raised me from that bad state and saved me from the shadows of darkness around me.” 

God had a little helper in the form of Gia, given as a gift from a friend. 

“She fills that void in my soul and she is part of my heart,” Lacramoira – also known as Maria – says. “I spend all my time with her. I don’t think I can live without her any more. She helps me sell the magazine on my pitch. She is my little baby. She is very friendly and playful. This is why many people love her and play with her. It makes me very happy.” 

This has also been a year of highs and lows for Nick Cuthbert, who sells in Truro. In February, his dog Bryony died. Like Boycie in Bath, she was a local celebrity at their pitch outside M&S in Lemon Quay. 

“I didn’t realise how big a following Bryony had until she’d passed,” says Nick. “On Cornwall Live there were 1,600 little love hearts and 500 comments on the post about her death.” 

After a few months, Nick got a new dog on his birthday in July. As a tribute to Bryony’s memory, he was determined to raise money for Last Chance Hotel animal rescue sanctuary in nearby Chacewater, where Nick found his new puppy. 

He held a contest to give customers the chance to suggest names. The idea ended up raising £1,108 and the winning name was Bracken. 

“She’s been doing amazingly,” Nick says. “She is so good with people, particularly children. She’s so social, it’s unbelievable – 100 people a day stroke her and she’s brilliant with everyone. 

“I’ve got picnic benches next to me and twice recently she’s sat with teenage girls for half an hour, just sat in their laps. Total strangers like. People just bond with dogs, don’t they? 

“Big Issue vendors and dogs go so well together because we have such a close bond. We’re with them 24/7. Our bond is not like anything else. 

“People say, ‘Why don’t they run away?’. Why would they? I’m here,” Nick adds. 

As you can see in the picture of Nick and Bracken (above), there’s plenty of affection. 

“My favourite thing to do with Bracken is to cuddle in bed,” Nick says. “I wake up and I get kisses. When I get to work in the morning we just sit on the bench and have coffee and she just cuddles up next to me. 

“If Bracken could speak, she would say to me, ‘I love you.’ And if she could speak to customers she would say, ‘Stop stroking me and buy Big Issue!’” 

Ian Duff in Bath also thinks his dogs would have plenty to say if they were able. 

“I think they’re forever grateful that they’ve been saved from, you know, death, and I think they’d love to thank all the customers for all the love that they get from them as well. 

“Because they feel it. Like us, they know when they’re being loved, and all of my customers absolutely adore them.” 

Ian has an ambition for 2025.  

“I’m hoping to go over to Macedonia and help out for a week at Dia’s Legacy. I want to show my support. I’m not a builder or anything like that, but I can help feed dogs and walk dogs and play with dogs. It’s actually a dream holiday really, just playing with dogs.”

Big Issue vendors introduce their helping hounds (and cute cats)

Sam Oates and Demi – Co-op, Bideford 

My dog Demi is a local legend, she’s three and a half and I’ve had her since day one. I was sleeping in the doorway opposite the Co-op when I got her as a puppy at the bottom of my sleeping bag. She’s spent her whole life sat next to me. She gets so many treats each day. 

Everyone loves Demi. She just wanders around, sees everyone, she’s just a really lovely dog with a really good temperament. It just brings a smile to people’s faces. She loves swimming. That’s her favourite thing. 

If she could speak to me, she would probably say, ‘You’re an idiot, Dad’. Demi puts up with me really, not the other way around. She’s my best mate. We work together on things.

Nathan and Rolo Greggs – Blackpool and M&S, Market Street, Manchester 

I’ve had Rolo since he was 12 weeks old. He’s now 10 months. I had a French bulldog beforehand and she passed away, so my friend let me choose a puppy, even though I didn’t want one then! But I fell in love with him the day he came to stay. He was tiny! 

When I first became homeless, I had to make the choice of whether to refuse housing that wouldn’t take him or give him up. That held me back quite a bit, but it’s worked out in the long run, because he’s my best mate.  

In Manchester, it was difficult to find a place where I could stay with him, but when I moved to Blackpool, people were a lot more understanding. I managed to get a room for £100 per week.  

Rolo loves living here – he has never enjoyed anything more in his life! This is the best decision
I ever made for him. He goes to the beach every day. 

He gets me up, gets me motivated. I went through quite a lot of hardship at the beginning of this year, and if it wasn’t for him, I probably would have given up a long time ago.

Andrew, Mabel and Dottie – Sheffield

Dottie’s eight and Mabel’s two and a half. They’re both so friendly. Mabel absolutely loves kids. She’s very, very playful – she’s just a pure bundle of love. When we take her to the park, she does roly-polies all over the place – she’s so funny. Dottie loves nothing more than her ball! She loves her food, too. Dottie used to be better behaved, but now it’s Mabel – she just craves an extra stroke! They’re both so funny and sweet. If we’re upset, Dottie will go up and put her head on your shoulder. She can just sense when something’s wrong. They brighten your day. 

Jules Daniels – Outside Pilot in High Street, Leicester 

I have three cats – Patch, Kitty Cat and Thumper. I’m feeding a stray too, I call it Little One. It used to sit out in all weather, with no protection unless it was under a car, so I would leave the door open to try to get it to come in. It lives in the back garden now, and when it does come in, it stays behind the fridge. I always joke that I have a habit of accumulating animals! 

Animals make you better. They’re members of the family. Just like humans, they all have their own different characters. They give you companionship and they know when you’re upset. Pets make you live longer – even if it’s a goldfish – so with that responsibility, you get more life. My cats make a big difference to mine. Animals help all sorts of people through tough patches. They give you the strength to get up, and it’s lovely to come home and be greeted. I think a lot about older people who might not be able to get out as much, and how important animals are to them for company and comfort.  

I’ve been an animal lover all my life, and I can say that there are a lot of misconceptions around people on the streets who have animals. The homeless people I’ve met would do anything for their pets, and they give them a reason to keep going.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.