July 17, 2025, 4:08 am | Read time: 6 minutes
After their dog Emma passed away a few years ago, TV host Vera Int-Veen and her partner have now adopted a new dog. It was important to the couple to give a rescue dog a better life. However, as the talk show icon reveals in an interview with PETBOOK, it wasn’t easy for her to open her heart to a new dog.
Vera Int-Veen: “Poppy chose us, not the other way around”
PETBOOK: How did Poppy come to you?
Vera Int-Veen: “In November 2024, we were with the animal welfare organization Hearts4paws e.V. at a shelter in Romania to raise awareness on Instagram about the dogs and cats there. We showcased many animals waiting for adoption and collected donations. Obi and I didn’t initially plan to adopt a dog, but Poppy kept following us around and stayed on our minds. She came to us in Germany in early December.”
What breed is she? And how important was that in your decision?
“We don’t know what breeds are in Poppy—she’s the best of everything! As they say, Poppy chose us, not the other way around…”
Do you remember your first encounter? Was it love at first sight? Was there a key moment?
“Poppy was in a yard with about 60 other large dogs at the shelter. I was explaining a bit for Instagram about what was happening there and wanted to pick up a dog. Poppy was the only one I could carry—and as I said, she kept coming back to us for cuddles.”
“We’ve become a great team”
Is there a story behind the name?
“Not really. I just thought Poppy was fitting for the little one. A bit funny and cheeky, and we haven’t met another dog with that name yet.”
How has your daily life changed since Poppy joined you?
“At first, it was a big adjustment, and you need a lot of patience with a dog. Poppy didn’t know anything—no grass, no street, no forest, no house. You have to take your time and let the dog get used to everything calmly. Now she’s just super sweet, eager to learn, always wants to be involved, and we’ve become a great team.”
Why did you choose a rescue dog over one from a breeder?
“For us, it was always clear that if a new dog came to us, we would rescue one. There are so many animals waiting for a new home, so a dog from a breeder was simply not an option for us.”
Were there any situations at the beginning that overwhelmed or surprised you?
“Yes, you really forget what it’s like to have a young dog in the house. At first, you constantly have to check if everything is okay. Especially with rescue dogs, you don’t know what they’ve experienced and if there are situations that might overwhelm, scare, or even frighten them.”
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Vera Int-Veen’s dog was terrified of children
What issues does Poppy have?
“Poppy was afraid of children. We assume she was born on the street and had bad experiences with playing children. But with a lot of patience, we’ve almost managed to overcome that.”
You’ve already had an arthritis check for Poppy. Why at such a young age?
“Arthritis is a chronic joint disease, and even young dogs can show early signs. Unfortunately, arthritis can’t be cured, but the earlier you recognize and properly treat it, the better you can spare the dog severe pain. Our Golden Retrievers Lotte and Emma also had arthritis, but back then we weren’t as informed and could only provide relief with strong painkillers in their old age. With Poppy, we want to do better.”
What have you learned from Poppy about patience, trust, or closeness?
“Patience is key to building trust and closeness. The more guidance your dog gets from you and knows that you safely guide them through life, the easier it is for everyone!”
How did your surroundings react to your decision to adopt a rescue dog?
“Everyone thought it was great!”
Vera Int-Veen wants to train Poppy as a therapy dog for nursing homes
What advice would you give to people who want to adopt a dog—perhaps even from abroad?
“No matter where the dog comes from, you have to take the time to help the dog settle in well. You must be willing to put your own needs aside, at least for a while. You can’t expect the dog to be left alone for hours right away, and you can’t expect them to do everything as you want. And: You definitely need a great network of people who can take the dog when you want to do things alone or simply don’t have time to properly care for them!”
Do you work with a dog trainer, or do you train alone?
“We have a wonderful dog trainer with whom we’re training Poppy to be a therapy dog. We want to visit nursing homes or similar places with Poppy later to bring some joy to people. Petra from lilahund reached out to us because she wants to show that rescue dogs can also be trained as therapy, educational, and even therapy dogs. With this training, we had the perfect start from the beginning!”
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“We picked up Poppy at 3:30 a.m. at a highway rest stop”
Was there a special moment with Poppy that you’ll never forget?
“Yes, it was picking up Poppy! She came with a dog transport from Romania, and we picked her up at 3:30 a.m. at a highway rest stop. Poppy was immediately happy to see us, and we believe she recognized us.”
What can’t you imagine today without your dog?
“I can’t imagine not being greeted by Poppy in the morning with joy.”
A few years ago, Emma passed away. How difficult was it for you to open your heart to a dog again?
“It was very, very hard. I wasn’t ready to even think about a new dog for a long time.”
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
“We’re planning a renovation at the house and want to travel more. The good thing is, we’ve quickly gotten Poppy used to being with our friends and just vacationing there—it works great.”