Tinsley has communed with Chihuahuas all her life, but the only one still living is Bambi, whom she adopted in 2011 from the Humane Society of New York, where she also volunteers.

The couple got Bambi as a puppy more than a year ago from a kennel in Tennessee, then hired professionals to train her as a service dog. BB knows commands in two languages: English and Vietnamese.

When a commercial breeder in Victoria was shut down last year, Bambi was one of 42 dogs rescued by animal welfare group Oscar’s Law. Now, thanks to a loving new home in Tasmania and her new best ...