An evening with Rory Cellan-Jones

In January 2022, the Cellan-Jones-Coyle family said goodbye to their beloved elderly Collie Cross, Cabbage. Newly retired, Rory had become inseparable from her during daily pandemic walks which alleviated his Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. After a grief-stricken year, Rory and his wife Diane contemplated opening up their hearts again and came across a dog 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 from Central Europe. Rory holds the Romanian rescue in his arms, excited for their first walk together – unaware it is more than a year ahead. Sophie from Romania follows the journey of her adoption – from her battles with anxiety, to the joys of play and her first foray outside.

This is a moving story of growing together through love, kindness and a lot of patience, revealing how adopting pets can be challenging but also full of rewarding moments. It’s also a celebration of rescue dogs, and community, as Rory uplifts fellow Romanian dog owners and his new friends from the #SophieFromRomania hashtag.