Every time Ashlee loads up an old copy of Nintendogs, she’s not just playing a game. She’s stepping back into the last, loving moments she had with her mum.
Now 24, Ashlee was just 10-years-old when her mother passed away. Their shared Mario Edition Nintendo DS was their world.
Together, they named puppies, trained them, and spent hours laughing at their virtual antics. One of their first dogs was Busta — named after the family pet.
“I still play that original save file,” Ashlee told QD.
“Those names, those dogs… they hold a special place in my heart,” she said.
Watch our interview with Ashlee below
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Years later, browsing through an op shop, she spotted another copy of Nintendogs. She bought it on a whim and was surprised to find a save file with dogs someone else had loved, cared for, and then left behind.
“It made me think about people’s childhoods,” Ashlee said. “The memories are still there, waiting to be found.”
What began as a personal mission has now grown into a movement.
Nintendogs defined a generation of gaming for many back in 2005. Play, feed, groom and walk your virtual puppies. Nintendo records over 21 million copies of Nintendogs have been sold on the DS, making it one of their most successful franchises.
If you had a Nintendo DS, you likely had a copy of the game — alongside the latest Pokémon adventure, of course. There was even a Nintendogs + Cats game released in 2011, if you were so inclined.
Fast forward 20 years, Ashlee now owns over 40 copies of the game — rescued from op shops, garage sales and eBay — with more arriving every week. People are even sending her their old copies to care for.
On TikTok, @nintendogs.collector shares wholesome clips of herself feeding, bathing, and logging every dog into her meticulously organised “Nintendog” digital record.
Some files the maximum amount of dogs the game allows. Others are packed with in-game coins, proof of hours invested and love once given.
Recently a corrupted file made her fear the worst.
“I actually cried,” she admits. “But I managed to recover it. They’re safe.”
Occasionally, her videos reconnect her with the original owners. A Yorkie named Max, rescued from eBay, found its person again.
Many never do — but Ashlee cares for them all the same.
She has a small GoFundMe to help fund more rescues, though she’s hesitant to call it a “cause.”
“I definitely didn’t expect it… I don’t really see it as an important cause that needs funding, of course,” she said. “If people are happy to send in a few dollars… it really warms my heart.”.
Now engaged to be married, Ashlee’s hoping to one day rope her fiancé into caring for them with her.
“I love what I do and he’s supportive, so he might give me a hand one day,” she said.
For Ashlee, every cartridge is more than a game — it’s a connection.
To her mum.
To lost childhoods.
To the dogs that still need someone to love them.
Save the Nintendogs!
