Local celebs and their adorable pets that we can’t stop talking about

From pint-sized kitties and pooches to majestic giant poodles, these furry companions are stealing hearts and turning heads alongside their famous celebrity owners.

Carrie Wong

Singaporean actress Carrie Wong fell for her mocha-coloured toy poodle, Gege, over a decade ago, buying her impulsively as a 17-year-old. Now 13, Gege is her “one true love and soulmate,” and the pair sleep together whenever Wong is home.

Carrie stays with her parents so Gege isn’t stressed and keeps her pampered with home-cooked meals and car rides. Even after a minor surgery in 2024, the poodle remains lively. In a recent The Straits Times interview, Carrie shared: “Her existence makes my life better… I love her so much.”

Glenn Yong

Why choose between being a dog or cat person when you can be both? Glenn Yong clearly agrees—he recently revealed that he’s officially a proud pawrent to not one, but two adorable fur babies.

First came his cat, and now, the latest addition to the family: a tiny, fluffy Pomeranian named Rio. Since making his Instagram debut, Rio has been stealing hearts left and right, with fans flooding the comments to gush over his cuteness.

Whether he’s being cradled in Glenn’s arms or striking a pose for the camera, it’s safe to say this little pup is already a star in the making.

Julie Tan

You probably know Julie Tan for her on-screen talent, but here’s something you might not know—she’s also a proud dog mum to two adorable pups. There’s Tinklebell, her toy poodle, and Sir Waffles the Mighty, a charming maltipoo with a name that’s hard to forget.

While not much is known about how Sir Waffles came into her life, Tinklebell’s story is a sweet one. Julie met her back in 2010 during a visit to a pet farm—she was originally looking for a brown poodle, but it was the shy little pup tucked away in the corner, with the brightest eyes, that stole her heart. And just like that, Tinklebell went home with her.

Both dogs even had their own Instagram accounts at one point, where Julie would share glimpses of their lives.

Fang Rong

Say hello to Sydney, the adorable Goldendoodle who’s also Fang Rong’s four-legged bestie. The two have been inseparable since 2017, when Fang Rong first adopted her—and if you scroll through her Instagram, you’ll often spot them out on their daily walks. Sydney even has her own account dedicated to all her fluffy charm (yes, she’s that photogenic).

Most recently, she made an appearance on Fang Rong’s page receiving a red packet for Chinese New Year too.

Chen Xiu Huan

Chen Xiuhuan isn’t your typical pet owner. The actress, once wary of dogs due to a traumatic childhood experience, now finds herself surrounded by a furry family — three adopted dogs and a cat. 

“My house is like a mini zoo!” Xiuhuan laughs. 

The mother of three currently owns Pidan, a black poodle, Burger, a munchkin, Elsa, a standard poodle and Treble, a bichon poodle. 

“My kids have always begged for a pet since they were young. I’ve always said no, because I was bitten by a dog before. But since my kids like animals, I would bring them to shelters to play with dogs,” the actress recounts. 

After multiple visits to the shelter, Derrick Tan, the founder of Voices for Animals texted Xiuhuan a picture of a dog up for adoption.

“He said he’s got something to show me. He sent me a picture of a dog — fully shaved and honestly, not very good looking,” she says. “However, Derrick reassured me that the dog, which is a black poodle, would blossom once its fur grows.”

Xiuhuan wasn’t convinced at first, but Derrick’s suggestion of a trial period won her over. The dog’s gentle and scared demeanour struck a chord, and soon Pidan (Chinese for century egg, which is black in colour) became a permanent member of her family.

The menagerie continued to grow with the arrival of Burger, a munchkin cat and former therapy animal. Derrick, it seems, played a big role in these furry introductions. 

“Burger’s cuteness sealed the deal,” Xiuhuan tells us. 

Some time later, a standard poodle named Elsa somehow found her way into Xiuhuan’s home through another one of Derrick’s cheeky “two-week trial” ploy.
 
Just when Xiuhuan thought her animal family was complete, fate intervened. Her daughter’s violin teacher needed to rehome a new puppy due to unforeseen circumstances. A quick text to the family group chat later, and Treble the bichon poodle became the newest member of the pack.

Romeo Tan 

Romeo Tan isn’t afraid to break the rules — especially when it comes to his love for dogs. 

Despite childhood asthma and his parents’ initial disapproval, Romeo eventually defied the odds to welcome a furry friend into his life — an adorable Mini Schnauzer called Tigger.

Dreaming of canine companionship since his youth, Romeo finally took the plunge in 2013. Tigger is now 11 years old! 

While Romeo originally planned to get a male dog and even had the name “Tigger” picked out, fate had other plans. 

“I saw Tigger (a female dog) sitting quietly next to her hyperactive brother, I was immediately drawn to her. I love her calm temperament and her beautiful eyes,” the 39-year-old recalls. 

He remembers the day he brought Tigger home vividly: “It was the day of the Star Awards 2013 rehearsal!” With a mischievous grin, Romeo recounts, “I got Tigger, put her in a box, left her at my doorstep, informed my mum we had a new housemate, and bolted for rehearsals! I still remember her screaming at me as I waited for the elevator.” 

Desmond Tan

Desmond Tan isn’t just a heartthrob on screen; he’s also a devoted dog dad to two furry companions: Hoshi, a 15-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, and Udon, an 8-year-old mixed-breed terrier.

“I always wanted a dog because I feel a pet completes a home,” the actor tells us. 

“Hoshi strengthened my family bonds and brought so much warmth and joy to our lives. Udon was later adopted by chance when I was supporting an adoption drive. He was supposed to be a good companion for Hoshi, but it didn’t quite work out that way — they’re not exactly best buddies,” Desmond laughs. 

By the way, did you know that Hoshi means ‘star’ in Japanese? Desmond feels that Hoshi has been a “guiding star” for him, helping him navigate his career, understanding his emotions, and teaching him how to appreciate life in general.

Benjamin Tan 

Longing for a canine companion during the COVID-19 lockdown, actor Benjamin Tan found himself secretly scrolling through dog photos online. 

“I’ve always wanted my own puppy but I couldn’t own one because my mum is afraid of animals with fur (that’s literally all the pets, haha),” the 31 year old divulges. 

Taking a leap of faith, Benjamin decided to send a picture of a silky poo (which he named Toki) that caught his eye to his mum — and it sparked a surprising reaction: “Really looks quite cute,” she said. This unexpected opening was all Benjamin needed.

“It felt like it was meant to be because after getting the puppy, my mum went into a coma a week later. I’ve got to say, having Toki by my side during those tough periods really helped me tide through that dark phase of my life,” Benjamin says. 

“Toki always gives me the sense that he is a human soul trapped in a dog’s body. Whenever I talk to him or rant about my life, he will stare at me as though he understood everything I said,” Ben shares.

When Benjamin eventually moved out to live on his own, he realised that Toki might be very lonely since he is “out most of the time for work”. So, he decided to get another dog — a cavapoo called Pencil.

Pencil, on the other hand, is a much more chill fur baby. She doesn’t really do much, to be honest,” Ben laughs. “One great trait of hers is that she behaves like the class monitor or housekeeper! Whenever Toki wanders off too far in the dog park, she will run after Toki and bring him back to me. It is as though she is taking attendance of everyone. She just doesn’t allow us to wander off too far from one another!”

Both doggos get along really well, according to Ben. “After getting Pencil, I realised that, as playful as Toki is, he seems to be a great older brother! He always gives in to Pencil and lets her have her way without growling or barking.” 

Chen Xi

While his previous feline companions, Miwa and Mugi, are happily settled back in Singapore with his family, Chen Xi finds himself sharing his UK life with another furry friend named Hare.

Turns out, Chen Xi’s British shorthair has quite the story. 

Originally found on the streets of Vietnam by his fiancée, Hare’s unwavering attachment knew no bounds. She followed Chen Xi’s partner all the way to Singapore, and eventually, even to the UK. 

“She climbs all over me,” the 33 year old says, “I can just be getting coffee, and she just jumps on my shoulder.” 

James Seah 

Actor James Seah and his wife, influencer Nicole Chang Min, have a two-and-a-half year old Chihuahua named Moon
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“We got him when he was two or three months old. We felt it was a good time to get a dog, especially after the passing of our previous dog, Papillon, four years ago.”
 
When James and Nicole met Moon, it was love at first sight.

“Moon crawled into our laps and started napping,” the 33-year-old shared. “We knew, there and then, that we were chosen by him and the rest is history.” 

Yunis To 

Best Rising Star Winner Yunis To loves her dog, Miu, so much that she has an entire Instagram page dedicated to the 10-year-old poodle. 

“I got my pet during college,” the 28-year-old shares. “I first saw her at a pet store where she sat quietly. She looked adorable! The owner let me play with her and I ended up spending three hours there, contemplating if I could take care of her.”

Eventually, Miu’s cuteness and gentle nature won Yunis over, so she decided to bring her home. Since then, Miu has played an important part of her life.

The thing about Miu that truly melts Yunis’ heart is the doggo’s boundless enthusiasm whenever she returns home. 

“Regardless of whether we’ve been apart for three days, three hours, or even just three minutes, she always welcomes me with the same enthusiasm!” Yunis says. 

Hong Ling and Nick Teo 

Hong Ling and Nick Teo are pawsome cat parents to a trio of feline companions — Zhao Cai, a Maine Coon Ragdoll Mix, Jin Bao, an orange mixed breed, and Eve, a British shorthair
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Their first furry friend, Zhao Cai, wasn’t exactly planned. 

During a visit to a friend’s house, they revealed that their cats had just given birth and asked Hong Ling if she would like to take one of the kittens home.

“Nick and I were playing with the kittens and he was carrying little Zhao Cai in his hands. He asked if he wanted to go home with us and he meowed. Nick asked again, and Zhao Cai meowed the second and third time! Our hearts melted and brought him home,” Hong Ling recounts.

 As the couple thought that Zhao Cai would be lonely, they started looking at adoption websites for another feline companion.
 
Nick and Hong Ling found Jin Bao online, and apparently they were the first people to message the owner.
 
“Although Jin Bao is my second cat, he is definitely my fave!” Hong Ling cheekily admits.
 
Later on, the couple decided to adopt a third cat named Eve.
 
“I was volunteering at an animal shelter when I saw Eve in the cage with her two kittens. She was very skinny and very afraid of people. I felt that I had to bring her home!” she shares.