By Jessica Micallef
Axle was the paw-fect companion for kids on Good Friday.
The eight-year-old Staffordshire terrier is no stranger to fame, after a video was posted in 2017 of him balancing a moving fidget spinner on his nose and front paws attracted a lot of attention.
Axle now has more than 11,000 followers on Instagram and has met a few famous faces, including TV’s Peter Hitchener.
The Sunbury staffy made a special appearance at the Royal Children’s Hospital last week.
Owner Belinda Shipp said she was glad Axle played a special part in the annual Good Friday appeal – putting a smile on the children’s faces.
“It’s nice to give back,” she said. “It’s just a sad situation to see and hear about sick children.”
Ms Shipp is hoping Axle’s fame and caring nature will help reduce the stigma that is associated with his breed.
“What we do is send out a positive message to people that think negatively about the breed,” she said. “We represent the staffy breed and the staffy community.
“You don’t see them in much advertising – that’s our goal as well.”
Closer to home, Axle has made regular appearances at his local pet store.
“He’s a regular in PETstock Sunbury … he goes there every weekend,” Ms Shipp said. “They gave him employee of the month because he helped with their stocktake a while back.”
