About Us – Pups, Paint & Prosecco

Stories of travel, places & life through a Dog-First™ lens.

Welcome to Pups, Paint & Prosecco. I’m Ruth, and beside me—usually—is Roy, my miniature poodle and travelling companion.

What began as a space to share life with a dog has grown into something much bigger: a place for stories about travel, places, dogs, art, culture and the things that catch my curiosity along the way.

I’ve always been curious about the world around me and the stories hiding in it. Give me a place, a person, a book, a painting, a beautiful dress, something happening in the world—or a completely ordinary moment—and chances are I’ll want to know more about it, think about it and eventually tell someone about it. Perhaps that’s the journalist in me. Perhaps it’s the Gemini. Most likely, it’s both.

At the heart of Pups, Paint & Prosecco is a Dog-First™ perspective. For me, that goes beyond finding places where dogs are simply allowed. It’s about how thoughtfully they are welcomed, how easily we can experience places and everyday life together, and the little details that make a dog feel genuinely included.

And then there’s Roy.

Roy is my miniature poodle, travelling companion, reluctant model, frequent artistic muse and the reason much of this world exists in the first place. Together we’ve navigated airports, hotels, cafés, cities, beaches and plenty of ordinary days at home. He has changed the way I travel, the places I notice and, perhaps most importantly, the way I think about what it really means for somewhere to welcome a dog.

With a background in journalism and television, storytelling has always been part of what I do. Sometimes that becomes a travel feature or practical guide; sometimes a Reel, photograph or conversation; sometimes an illustration inspired by a place we’ve discovered. And sometimes it becomes an essay about a book, a film, something happening in the world—or simply a thought I couldn’t quite leave alone.

That means you’ll find practical dog-travel information and Dog-First™ experiences here, but also travel and destination stories, art, culture, books, observations and the occasional slower thought that deserves more space than an Instagram caption.

Pups, Paint & Prosecco is where my different creative worlds meet. Alongside writing and travel storytelling, I create original illustration and bespoke artwork inspired by places, people and the relationship we share with our dogs.

And yes, there is still prosecco.

Because this was never meant to be only a travel guide or a dog blog. It’s a collection of stories about experiencing more of life, staying curious—and making room for our dogs within it.

Welcome to our world.