You Gave Me the Answer: Paul's Pets

Paul's love of animals has been woven through his life and music for decades. From Martha, his beloved Old English Sheepdog who inspired ‘Martha My Dear’, to the Wings classic ‘Jet’, named after another treasured dog, pets have often found their way into Paul's world and occasionally into his songs.

For many pet owners - ourselves included - one of the hardest parts of travelling is deciding who'll look after the animals while you're away. This month's question comes from Dimitrio, who wanted to know what happens to Paul's pets when he's on the road and whether there are any furry - or as it turns out, perhaps not-so-furry - members of the McCartney household these days.

Dimitrio asks: I know you and Nancy adopted a lovely black-and-white dog fairly recently. With all your travelling, what do you do with your pets? Where do they stay when you're on tour?

Paul: Well, they're in New York, and we're very lucky to have a housekeeper, who's very good with the dogs. So, when we're not there, she takes care of them. 

PaulMcCartney.com: That must be quite reassuring, knowing they're in good hands while you're away? 

Paul: Yeah, it is. If you've got animals, you want to know they're being looked after properly. We're very lucky. They're happy and settled, so it's never really a worry. 

PaulMcCartney.com:  Do you have any other pets these days? Obviously, you once wrote a rather famous song about Martha. Would you ever write a song about a cat? 

Paul: We have the two dogs, Rose and Jet, who are the ones in America. And then I have a turtle - a terrapin - called Terry the Terrific Terrapin. 

PaulMcCartney.com: I think that's breaking news right there! 

Paul: That's breaking news! 

PaulMcCartney.com: How long have you had Terry? 

Paul: Quite a while now. Terry just gets on with it. No complaints, no demands. Very easy-going. 

PaulMcCartney.com: So maybe there's a song about Terry waiting to happen? 

Paul: Maybe. You never know! 

PaulMcCartney.com: If there was a song, Terry sounds like she'd deserve some special treatment... 

Paul: Well, you know the fun fact about Terry: I peel grapes for her. She's very lucky. No one else in the world gets peeled grapes from me! 

PaulMcCartney.com: That's quite an exclusive club! 

Paul: It really is. Not many people can say they've had grapes peeled by me. Terry's probably the only one! 

So, there you have it. When Paul is away, Rose and Jet are looked after by a trusted housekeeper in New York, while Terry the Terrific Terrapin continues to enjoy a lifestyle that includes hand-peeled grapes, and we're not ruling out a future song dedicated to Terry just yet... 

Got a question for Paul?  Submit your 'You Gave Me The Answer' questions directly HERE! or you can also share yours via the Official Paul McCartney Facebook Group.