Latest news with #NiallHarbison
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The hidden message Oasis shared with fans REVEALED as band include deeply personal tribute during reunion tour
Oasis performed in front of a sold-out 80,000 strong crowd in their home city of Manchester for night one of their five sold out shows at Heaton Park on Friday. However there was a touching hidden message in the set that perhaps not all fans will have noticed. During the show Liam paid a special tribute to his rescue dog Buttons after his face was projected as part of the light show. Liam rescued the dog from the charity Happy Doggo in Thailand in 2023 and now Thailand dog rescuer Niall Harbison has revealed the full story behind the adoption. Taking to Twitter after the performance in Manchester he penned: 'Most people were probably looking at @liamgallagher and @oasis last night on stage. Look a little closer and you'll spot a dog called Buttons.' Explaining Buttons' story he continued: 'Buttons was a little puppy who walked into our sanctuary in Thailand in the middle of the jungle just as it was getting built. She had been abandoned. She kept coming back daily for food and hoping for company. 'Day after day Buttons came back. I eventually took her in and put her up for adoption. 'Little did I know but Liam and his partner Debbie had been following. After a long process she was adopted to them in the UK. Buttons has grown into a beloved member of the family and landed on her paws.' Revealing the musician's support for the charity he added: 'Liam has been a big support of @wearehappydoggo and donated his globe from the last tour to raise funds. I don't think buttons realizes her dad is a rock star. She just loves her humans. '2 years ago she was abandoned as a puppy in Thailand. Buttons set out to make herself a better life by sneaking in to our sanctuary. She certainly did that!! 'So if you are wondering why there is a dog on the @oasis screens now you know. Well done buttons. I think you can say you've made it when your dad has you on the big screen'. It isn't the first time Niall has spoken about the Oasis frontman's dog adoption after he previously replied to a curious fan who asked how Liam went about adopting one of their rescue dog. He penned: 'He applied just like everyone else and then we found out it was *that* Liam Gallagher?!!!' Last year Liam flew Buttons with his family on a private jet make sure he was able to join the Gallagher's on their summer holiday to France. A source told The Sun at the time: 'He took his family away to France but it wouldn't be the same without Buttons, so he used a private jet so she could come too. 'Buttons is the most spoiled pooch but Liam and partner Debbie would not have it any other way. When Liam isn't on stage they are inseparable.' Liam and Noel appeared hand-in-hand as they kicked off the first of their five-night stint at Heaton Park on Friday. The shows at Heaton Park - a 600-acre public park in Bury and Manchester - are the only UK shows held outside a stadium, with the others taking place at the Principality Stadium, Wembley and Murrayfield. Oasis opened their set with Hello from their 1995 second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, before playing Acquiesce. Fans were treated to Morning Glory, Some Might Say, Cigarettes and Alcohol, and Supersonic before Noel's acoustic set. Giving his brother a hug, Liam then headed off while Noel played Half The World Away and Little By Little. Other songs included D'You Know What I Mean, Cast No Shadow, Stand By Me, Whatever and Rock N Roll Star. After Rock N Roll Star, Liam said: 'Thanks for sticking with us. I know we are difficult, but you want to try being in the band,' before they left the stage.' As chants of 'one more song!' echoed through the crowd they strolled back on to stage to play fan favourites Don't Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall. Oasis ended the night on Champagne Supernova with fireworks being set off from the stage.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who is ‘Buttons'? The dog who stole Liam Gallagher's heart
Oasis performed their first gigs in 16 years at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 4 and 5 July, receiving rave reviews. During the band's performance of "Roll With It", a dog was prominently displayed on the large screens behind Liam Gallagher, puzzling many fans. Niall Harbison, founder of Happy Doggo, revealed the dog is named Buttons, a Thai ridgeback puppy rescued from his sanctuary in Thailand. Buttons was adopted by Liam Gallagher and his partner Debbie after being abandoned as a puppy and seeking refuge at the sanctuary. The projection of Buttons on screen was a tribute from Liam Gallagher, who has also supported Harbison's charity, Happy Doggo, through donations. 'Remarkable' true story of Oasis dog on band's concert graphics revealed
The Sun
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Liam Gallagher's heartwarming tribute during Oasis gig revealed – but did you spot it?
LIAM Gallagher's heartwarming tribute during an Oasis gig has been revealed - but did you spot it? Rocker brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher thrilled fans by announcing their reunion last year. 4 4 4 The reformed Oasis took to the stage for the first time in 16 years at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. During the show, an image of a dog named Buttons was included in the stage graphics. Taking to X, Niall Harbison, who founded the Happy Doggo sanctuary in Thailand, explained what led up to that moment. The Northern Irishman explained how Buttons had been an abandoned puppy who walked into the sanctuary during its construction. After several daily trips, Niall later took the dog in and put her up for adoption. This led to Buttons being taken in by Liam, 52, and his partner Debbie two years ago. Niall concluded: "Two years ago she was abandoned as a puppy in Thailand. "Buttons set out to make herself a better life by sneaking in to our sanctuary. She certainly did that!!" One person commented: "She is a gorgeous dog! What a wonderful story!" Another added: "Buttons is a rags-to-riches story, going from days of not knowing if a human would feed her, or kick her, to being queen of someone's heart. She even looks regal. Oasis pay touching tribute to tragic Diogo Jota as Liverpool star appears on screen in emotional song "Buttons is a success story because of you, a dog named Tina, a dream, & a lot of hard work." While a third penned: "She looks rather regal rather than scared these days." As well as this, Oasis also paid a heartwarming tribute to the late footballer Diogo Jota. The brothers played their 1994 iconic hit Live Forever in honour of Jota, who tragically lost his life aged 28, alongside his younger brother, in a horror crash on July 3. Oasis 2025 tour dates OASIS brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have revealed a 17 gig comeback tour next summer - here are the details The Wonderwall hitmakers will delight crowds as follows: JULY 2025 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium 5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium 11th - Manchester, Heaton Park 12th - Manchester, Heaton Park 16th - Manchester, Heaton Park 19th - Manchester, Heaton Park 20th - Manchester, Heaton Park 25th - London, Wembley Stadium 26th - London, Wembley Stadium 30th - London, Wembley Stadium AUGUST 2025 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium 3rd - London, Wembley Stadium 8th - Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium 9th - Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium 12th - Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium 16th - Dublin, Croke Park 17th - Dublin, Croke Park SEPTEMBER 2025 27th - London, Wembley Stadium 28th - London, Wembley Stadium A large picture of the Liverpool star was shown on a big screen to the 75,000 people in attendance as the band played the hit song. One member of the crowd said: "The live forever tribute for Jota was on a different level. May your soul rest in peace." Another penned: "Oasis just dedicated 'Live Forever' performance to Diogo Jota tonight. Literally brought a tear to my eye." "Seeing that Jota tribute at Oasis has set me off again. Beautiful. How are we never gonna see him again," agreed a third heartbroken fan.
CNN
03-06-2025
- General
- CNN
‘A miraculous journey': How chance encounter with a stray dog inspired Thai rescue group
Author Niall Harbison joins CNN's Fredricka Whitfield to share his remarkable story of redemption after a chance encounter with a stray dog, Tina, in Thailand.
Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Neglected and mistreated 'street dogs' around the world.... and the man working to save them
It all starts, as so many dog rescues do, with my WhatsApp pinging. A picture message. I don't recognise the number it's been sent from, it's not from a friend or a member of the family back home. So I can be pretty sure that the image I've received will be of a dog — and it's probably not going to be a cute 'awww' kind of one. In those few milliseconds as I wait for it to download, there's a familiar sense of dread of whatever's coming next. It wasn't long after getting sober that my mission to save the street dogs in Thailand began. I've grown used to the fact that I'm like the fourth emergency service out here. For humans there's the fire, ambulance and police services — for dogs, however, well, it's fair to say I've become the go-to in that department. It seems to take an age for the image to become clear. Living in Koh Samui, a tropical island off the east coast of the country, has many wonderful things going for it — clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds and luscious jungles to explore. It even has some of the fastest WiFi in the world but today it was taking forever. A little anxiety seeds in my tummy. Come on then, how bad will it be? You'd imagine I'd get hardened to seeing upsetting pictures of mistreated animals after all this time. Some are cruelly abused by humans, others were just unlucky enough to be born. Unwanted and unloved by anyone. Suffering, because the world just isn't always fair. Yet despite all the horrible states I've found animals in, I never get desensitised. I'm a big softie I suppose, there's always something that can still shock me, make me wince, or induce flashes of utter fury sometimes. (Never aimed at the poor wretched animal. I'm only ever angry at the humans who've neglected them — or, worse, maliciously inflicted the damage. Or just society as a whole for not caring as we should.) Niall Harbison: "Tina had spent so many unhappy years being used for breeding puppies, which had completely worn out her body." A first look at Tina As the picture on my iPhone finally crystallises with definition, turning from a blurry shape into a clear photograph, I see it's a dog on a chain. The fur is fair, thin and matted in places, while sparse in others; there's some expanses of sore-looking skin exposed. I peer closer and notice the poor thing has been lying in its own toileting. Eugh. But the dog's face is long and noble somehow, and poking out from the fur obscuring the poor thing's vision are the most vulnerable-looking dark eyes I've ever seen. The expression is of complete dejection, one of the saddest-looking animals I've ever seen. I groan audibly and put my head in my hands briefly. It is impossible to tell the breed of the mutt from the picture, and let's be honest the 'breeds' in Thailand are way more loosely based on the intended breed. Most of the dogs out here in Koh Samui are a mix-up of all sorts as they've haphazardly mated on the street and multiplied (and multiplied, and multiplied …). All sorts of doggy DNA exists, born by accident and not design. And in my opinion they're just as beautiful as any pooch who might be showcased at glamorous dog shows like Crufts in the UK or the National Dog Show in the US. And their life is every bit as valuable. I just wish there weren't quite so many of them. I read the rest of the text that follows the picture. This particular poor mite had been spotted by a tourist in the mountains earlier that morning. That part of the island isn't one I was so familiar with. I have to admit, I still don't know every corner of Koh Samui. (The fact that for the first couple of years of living in this paradise I was mostly steaming drunk definitely didn't help me in that regard.) I rub my eyes again. God, I'm knackered. I want my dinner, I want a shower, and I want to curl up on the sofa with my own dog Snoop. But this is one of those moments when you just know you have to drop everything. Just go, Niall. I know in every bone of my body that here is a dog in dire need; he or she simply could not spend another night in that miserable dirty state. Whoever it belongs to, and however it got there, I need to go and help it. Immediately. Why opt for sterilisation Spring was fast approaching and Tina had long settled in and had really seemed to be thriving. She was well enough, we decided, to have a sterilisation operation. It was espe cially important to have that taken care of now that she was out and about having fun and socialising with other dogs on our walks. Tina had spent so many unhappy years being used for breeding puppies, which had completely worn out her body, getting the operation was particularly symbolic and a start of a better future ahead. Dogs can't talk to us but they can to each other. You can clearly see Hank here looking on and telling her it'll be ok here. And it's clear Chance knows that too. Hank is my secret weapon 🥰🙏 (7/7) — Niall Harbison (@NiallHarbison) May 27, 2025 I felt incredibly proud of her as I got her ready to be sent off to the vets, like we did with all the others. It was hard to know exactly how old she was, to tell you the truth, but the vet guessed around eight, which meant she could still technically get pregnant, and that was the very last thing Tina needed — or any of us for that matter. It might seem like a small footnote in the bigger scheme of things for Tina, but it still felt like a significant moment of closure for this wonderful lady. 'Don't you worry, angel,' I kissed her affectionately on her wet snout before she went under the general anaesthetic. 'We're just making sure you never have to have another puppy in your life again.' Not only would her ill health not have coped with a pregnancy, but I felt she deserved to just focus on being a dog for the first time in her life, and sharing all the amazing love and affection she had to give. To be very precise Tina was the 521st dog we have sterilised since starting this mission to solve the street dog problems in Thailand. And yes, I really do keep count of each and every one, as it just means so much to me. I used to keep a count in my head but now I've developed a helpful spreadsheet. I know their little quirks, like who doesn't like the rain, or who needs their skin checked during the wet season. When a dog is walking a little gingerly, I can look at them and know if it's serious or not. If they are a little underweight or need to see a vet. I don't have kids but I guess this is a similar way parents would know through intuition about their kids. With 80 dogs to look after, I know the odds are stacked against me in terms of keeping them all healthy and alive, but they are my pride and joy. I think of it as having 80 pets that happen to live on the streets. Street dogs across the world I think there's 500 million street dogs in the world — that's more than the population of America — and I want to halve that in my lifetime. Sounds crazy, but I think I can do it, and I'm really proud of the fact that we now have eight other partners in three countries, not just Thailand but Sri Lanka and Indonesia, too. Until as recently as 2022, I wasn't even aware of what neutering was. In the space of just two and half years, we have amazingly reached 90-95% coverage of dogs sterilised here on the island of Koh Samui. We can never get to having 100% of the dogs sterilised in any given area because some locals won't allow their dogs to be done; there are still, sadly, some dog breeders who want to make money from puppies, and dogs are still being brought in by workers. But we've stopped a vast amount of unwanted, unloved and uncared lives being brought into this world. Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World (HarperCollins) is out now @NiallHarbison
