My Boy Butch

Much beloved broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray recounts her great love affair with Butch the Chihuahua.


There was always a dog. If not real, then imagined.


As a lonely only child, Dame Jenni Murray longed to have a dog. She had only Timmy her imaginary pooch for company until her fifth birthday when her parents bought her a beautiful little puppy – Taffy the Corgi. This was to be the start of a life-long passion for man's best friend.


Having been a small dog owner all her adult life, in her fifties the arrival of Butch the Chihuahua coincided with the devastating discovery that she had breast cancer. Butch proved to be a devoted source of comfort, love and hilarity at the most difficult time in her life. Making her smile when she wanted to cry and laugh when she needed to the most, Butch was an invaluable source of support and the reassuring presence of this special little dog helped Jenni to make a full recovery.


Heartwarming, moving and hilarious at turns, My Boy Butch is a tribute to this oft maligned breed, and to a little dog who made life worth living again.