Carrie Wong calls senior toy poodle her 'one true love and soulmate'

It was love at first sight for Singaporean actress Carrie Wong when she laid eyes on a mocha-coloured female toy poodle at a local pet farm more than a decade ago.

Then a 17-year-old student, she bought the puppy on impulse for $2,500 and brought it home without her parents' knowledge.

"They were overseas on a holiday, and I decided to go to a pet farm to look for a dog," recounts Wong, who named the pooch Gege (princess in Mandarin).

"My parents were shocked to see Gege, who was barking at them furiously, when they returned home," adds the 31-year-old, with a laugh.

It did not take long for the cute new member of the family to win over Wong's parents, who are Gege's caregivers when she is out of town.

The Mediacorp artiste says she is so attached to her 13-year-old furkid that she never fails to ask her parents to send photos and videos of Gege in their family group chat every day.

Wong is currently in Milan, Italy, for Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026, where she was a guest at various shows, such as Fendi and Onitsuka Tiger on Sept 24, Max Mara on Sept 25 and Giorgio Armani on Sept 28.

Her latest small-screen role is that of a law student in 1930s Singapore in the new Channel 8 series Fixing Fate. The fantasy drama also stars Xu Bin, Fang Rong and Andie Chen, and will air on weekdays from Oct 2 at 9pm. It is available on mewatch from Sept 29.

Wong, who won the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes award for 10 consecutive times at the Star Awards from 2015 to 2025, has a soft spot for animals, especially dogs.

Gege is her first and only pet, and her "one true love and soulmate".

Wong adds: "I'm the only child in the family. Growing up, it has always been Gege and me."

The pair sleep together every night whenever Wong is home. While the local star has her own bachelorette pad in central Singapore, she has not moved out of her parents' place because she does not want to stress Gege out.

"She's old already, but my apartment is hers too, just like how my car is hers," says Wong, adding that Gege loves car rides.

'She makes my life better'

Because they have been joined at the hip since day one, Wong's personality has also rubbed off on her furkid.

"Many of my friends say Gege is like me, a feisty and don't-mess-with-me girl," says Wong. "But Gege is a lot more spoilt and pampered than I am."

Gege is also doted on dearly by Wong's parents, who are in their late 60s. Her father is retired and her homemaker mother pays great attention to Gege's meals, making sure everything is the "healthiest, with no oil and sugar", and cooks all the poodle's food herself.

Due to Gege's clean and nutritious diet, she has not experienced major health issues, which Wong is grateful for.

"She does have weak joints because of her age, so she is on supplements now," she adds.

Despite being a senior dog, Wong says Gege still loves to jump around. But in 2024, the poodle dislocated her shoulder after a bad landing.

"She was in so much pain and had to undergo a minor surgery to pop her shoulder back in place," says Wong.

"Gege had to be hospitalised for one day, and it was the first time in her life she slept outside of home," adds the actress. Gege's left shoulder was in a cast for two weeks, and she hopped around three-legged during that period.

Wong, who made her show business debut in 2014, loves to buy pretty clothes for her furkid, and the duo managed to twin their outfits for a campaign in 2022 for German fashion brand Boss.

"Gege heals me in many different ways. I always think I need her more than she needs me," says Wong.

She explains that during her bad days, she would lie down with Gege, who knows her pawrent's moods very well. The dog would snuggle up to Wong, or settle on her arms or tummy to sleep.

"I am always her number one," says Wong. "Even though I leave Singapore for months for work, she will always greet me immediately when I'm home.

"Her existence makes my life better. I am most thankful that she appeared in my life, and chose me to be her mum. I love her so much."