ANIMALS OF NEW PLYMOUTH
While celebrating 75 years of New Plymouth Vet Group, we’ve reminisced over many patients, clients, farm members, and moments with our own pets – and we came to a realisation. Our 75th celebration isn’t really about us at all. It’s about the Animals of New Plymouth. Whether it’s a monkey at the zoo, a native bird with a broken wing, Jason the Seagull who, 10 years since we treated him, still comes to get fed at the clinic’s back door, Fluffy the kitten, or Luna the poodle, it’s the animals that are the reason we exist in the first place.
The more we talked, the more we wanted to tell each pet’s story. And so, the concept was born: let’s make a book. Not about us, but about the animals. Telling their stories, finding that special memory and sharing it. Noticing the unique personality of your pet, and sharing it. Laughing at the antics your dog gets up to, and sharing it.
Here is your invitation to “Publish your Pet”
We dedicate this to the Animals of New Plymouth.
Read on below to see examples of recent submissions, then tell us about your pet! It doesn’t have to be a story about visiting the vets, it might be something as mundane as the specific meow your cat makes when it’s 6pm on the dot and they’re ready for their dinner. Each pet is unique, and each story is worth being told.
Click the link below to submit your story and photo.
Alternatively, if you prefer a chat, give us a call and tell us your story over the phone and our team can write it up for you.
Please include
Pet’s name and species/breed:
Your name (optional):
Tell us one of their stories in 100-400 words. This could be anything, some ideas to get you started: think about a special memory, a funny habit, a unique quirk, or why they are important to your life.
Please attach their photo – the highest quality you have.
Email to npvetgroupnz@gmail.com if the link is not working for you.
Please note: before we publish your stories and photos, each submission will go through a grammar check, and the photos may be edited to enhance the quality when needed.
Shishi & Leo
Before Shishi and Leo were Shishi and Leo, they were our two foster kittens. We made them a bed in the bathroom cupboard so they could have a room to themselves in our one-bedroom flat while they got used to us and the house. Although, they decided the bathroom cupboard was too big and would crawl up into the cabinet drawer to sleep curled together in a ball of fluff. After two months of very timid exploring, Shishi came and sat on my lap one evening and went to sleep, I cried. After that, they were no longer foster kittens but ours. We adopted them the next week. That’s known as a ‘foster fail’ among rescue organisations!
A few years later, my partner and I went to stay with his family in Germany for four months. We gave Shishi and Leo to my auntie to cat-sit for the time we were gone. They ran away the evening our plane took off – we got the message on our stopover. We were distraught, heartbroken, and so scared for our fur babies. My auntie spent months searching for them, but it seemed they were gone without a trace.
When we did come back, clueless about how to find them or where to start looking, on a bit of a whim – we contacted a psychic. After an immediate and positive response from her, we felt hopeful for the first time in months. The psychic told us to “look for a stream and a line of trees”, and we would find them both. So, that night, we parked our house truck near the closest stream and went to calling out their names.
We found Shishi within 15 minutes of searching that area, in between the stream and a line trees. Overwhelmed with disbelief and joy, we managed to wrap her up, and bring her back to the truck, she was so so happy to see us, rubbing her face against our cheeks and meowing away like she had so many stories to share. Then, just as magically, one hour later Leo turned up outside the truck’s door, he walked on in, like nothing ever happened. Since then, they have both been cuddlier than ever, like they’re so grateful that we found them again. Which we are, so incredibly grateful.
Dudley
This is Dudley the Muscovy. I got Dudley as a duckling for a support buddy when I was younger and going through some difficult times. Dudley was by me the entire time with her Mallard sisters.
We would lay and have cuddles, splash in their pool or she would follow me on walks (I think Dudley favourite activity would be eating as much as she can haha). They say Ducks don’t make great pets but Dudley proves that all wrong – Apart from all the poop!
Rob has also seen Dudley in the past for prolapse reason, it was to the point we might have had to put her down (which would’ve been devastating) due to reproplases but Rob came up with an amazing fix and Dudley has had no prolapses since!!! My best feather friend
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Jinxy
Jinxy is a rescue cat on our farm – hubbie found her and brought her home – she was very small and fitted into the palm of his hand – we couple find the mother and she was soaking wet – as soon as our daughter saw her she immediately took over and nursed her back to health.
A few years later Jinxy came home from over the farm limping – we took her in to see her fav vet Rob Mills and found that she had two pellets in her and had damaged her leg so much it had to be removed.
Turns out that we had had someone on the farm hunting for possums and rabbits but he had an infra red scope on his gun, he shot what he thought was a possum but it turns out to be Jinxy.
The amputation hasn’t affected her at all and is still well and thriving.
Rossi
The joy of our life was born on 15 September 2020, so he is about to turn six — which, in dog years, means he’s about to hit the naughty 40s!
Rossi is a cheeky, sassy wee fella with cloth ears, especially when we’re distracted gardening out the front of our house. That’s usually his cue to head up through the neighbours’ garden for a visit with their dog, Bodey, who lives behind a fence in their yard. Apparently, fences are merely a suggestion!
Some dogs love balls, frisbees or swimming. Not our boy! Our little mutt loves digging in the sand, having the wind blowing through his beard out the car window and, most of all, sniffing all those delicious aromas he discovers on his walks. His daily sniff-fest usually takes place along the Te Henui walkway. Oh, the joy of leaving his mark for all the other dogs to enjoy!
The only thing he sits patiently for is the moment he can snitch food straight from our little granddaughter’s fingers. He is ever hopeful — and surprisingly persistent!
Rossi loves riding in the basket on the back of my bike and has become quite the well-travelled boy. We take him everywhere with us, and he especially loves our time away in the camper. He’s also been known to visit other people’s campers by simply jumping right in. Many friendships have been made this way — probably the best way to break the ice, especially if there’s a beer or two or a glass of wine involved!
A usual week for Rossi means either riding around with Jeff, my husband, in his work van, or heading off to work with me at St Aubyn Veterinary Clinic. There, he quietly keeps me company in my office alongside Chica, the little Chihuahua belonging to our clinic manager, Ella.
There is just one problem: Chica always steals Rossi’s bed! This leaves Rossi trying to squeeze himself into Chica’s tiny donut bed. Watching this very large dog attempting to fit into a very small bed is quite hilarious!
I can honestly say Rossi isn’t a yappy dog — he’s a very happy dog. He is such a delight and brings so much joy wherever he goes.
Mind you, he’s not particularly fond of having his nails cut. I once cut his quick, and apparently that was enough for him to decide that Mumma is NEVER allowed to touch his feet again! Fortunately for me, I know some great girls at the vets who are more than happy to do the job for me.
Old people love many dogs, their one fault is they never live long enough. In your heart there is always that one very special dog.
I love him, and he loves me.
You really can’t get better than that. ♥️ 🐾
Skyla
Skyla, living her best life with NO regrets.
Skyla loves ANYTHING not intended for her to have in life:
Raglans dinner
Our dinner
Raglans toys
Harvesting direct from my vege garden
Stealing Raglans treats
Licking empty beer bottles
Stealing gwandPAWrents chocolates
Eating
Rolling in anything maggoty
Worst things in life:
Most dogs
Anything healthy
Missing out
Exercise
The Hair brush
Late dinner
Favorite things:
‘SURPRISE’ kisses
Bedtime treats
Snuggles on her own terms
Naughty Nanny Teddy Cookies
Naughty Gwandads treats from his plate
Raglan
Raglan, living his best life, on Fitzroy Beach.
Raglan loves his life & everyone in it especially his Naughty GwandPAWrents and his Nana Wine.
Raglan firmly believes little sisters should be put down when they won’t play with him or steal his food and toys!
But he loves her to pieces.
Best things in life:
Road tripping
Eating bunny poop
Rolling in yummy stuff
Sniffing butts
Cuddles
Scariest things in life:
The DOGTOR
Maya – The Siberian Husky
Maya was a princess from the day she was born and like all princesses she decided she needed a throne which happened to be on a Trampoline. She then decided that anyone wishing to share her throne was fine… but leaving the said throne was not going to happen. The Trampolining Husky became a bit of a thing. As Huskie’s that chip on her shoulder was permanent, wherever she went… that bed, that water dish, that toy… they are mine didn’t you realise… and everytime she did it the other dog bizarrely just accepted it. We do think she was definitely Russian royalty.
Shannah – The Newfoundland.
Shannah had no concept of her size and had an absolute belief that everyone was very glad to see her. One of our favourite moments was when we came across a family set up for a picnic on a walk… in a very wilderness setting. Shannah decided that looked really interesting. She took off ready to greet everyone. I think the people thought she was a bear on the loose and took off… leaving the picnic… which in keeping with all bears she thought decided it would be a good idea and certainly not rude to devour their picnic. She definitely had a good feast by the time we caught up.
Teddy
Here’s my boy Teddy, who you have cared for multiple times! The most memorable for me was when (we think) he fell off a slippery two story roof, he’s a climber and it was a rainy night. He made his way home, despite being badly injured. From X-rays, to feeding tubes, to ultrasounds, the care he received was incredible and I’m nothing short of grateful. It really shows how great veterinary medicine is! I always feel good knowing my pets are in safe hands time and time again.
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Chitty Chase
This is Chitty Chase, he’s is very food oriented, he loves a good booty smack. He is very talkative and cuddly, likes to cuddle up in bed with you like a baby.
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The Bruce
Our 6 year old St Bernard Bruce – named after the Bruce Almighty, or maybe The Hulk, either way, this boy is over 85kgs of pure love…and fluff…and dribble.
You know how we all went “I want a puppy” during lockdown, well we went one better and got the equivalent of a house cow. I waited my whole life to get my Bruce, and as my life-long friend said yep, she too had waited her whole life for me to get this dog. Bruce was born at the New Plymouth Vet Group via C-Section and joined our family of 4 humans and “big Brother” Russell a Labraspoodle 8 weeks later and around 12kgs. He put on 2kg every week for months. HE ATE A LOT!
6 years on and our house is annihilated; there is fluff from here to Timbuktu and be careful where you stand as the dribble is something to be reckoned with. That stuff sticks to everything…everywhere – ceiling included. He creates small earthquakes when he flops down in a huff and snores like a trooper…and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
St Bernard’s are truly majestic, there is nothing like it having one of these creatures in your life.
We don’t get far on our walks before somebody stops for a chat. And a pat. I love seeing the smiles in the passing cars, the pure joy on people’s faces when they see him. Bruce is made to share, he loves attention and pats. A true leaner you need to have a strong stance or else you will topple. He loves getting in the car and back out again, ready for any adventure, any human and any animal – he just loves everything and everybody. Even the Vet’s injections do not dampen Bruce happiness and unconditional love.
He is though a tad of a wimp. He needs to be right next to me. His love and loyalty is nothing that words can explain and is so gentle and funny. He pretends to be dumb, but this boy has brains. They told us Saints can become quite stubborn, well stubborn is an understatement, 85kgs of I am not moving means – he is not moving!
We are so lucky to have Bruce, we are grateful for his big silly droopy eyes and huge head, and ridiculously sized frame.
Once he is long gone and we have moved houses, I am happy in the knowledge that Bruce will live on as that house, no matter how many cleans and how many different people move in there – it will never be fluff free again!
Emmy-Emba
This is Emmy-Emba, she is almost two years old. She loves a game of tag and bringing her favorite toy to you for bedtime. She loves her fancy feast treats and will scratch at the fridge for them. She knows what you mean when you ask her if she wants to go outside or do the washing, she is a inside cat so she goes outside on her lead. She is much loved and adored by her mummy and daddy
Hudson
For the past eight years, Hudson has had one very important companion in his life: his “Bug”.
Bug is a stuffed pillowpet that Hudson absolutely loves. We’ve lost count of how many Bugs he has had over the years, because unfortunately, they don’t tend to survive forever. Between the cuddling, carrying, chewing and general loving they receive, each Bug eventually becomes a very well-loved, slightly sad-looking version of its former self. But to Hudson, a Bug is a Bug.
His Bugs go everywhere with him. Whether he’s chilling out having a nap, wandering around the house, getting ready for bed or simply wanting some comfort, his Bug is never far away. He’ll happily carry it around with him, proudly showing it off before settling down with it beside him.
Over the years, we’ve watched him grow from a puppy into the much-loved member of our family he is today, and his obsession with his Bugs has remained one of those wonderfully weird things that makes Hudson, well… Hudson.
Eight years, countless Bugs, and hopefully many more to come! We can’t imagine Hudson without one.
Hunter
Hunter is our 12-year-old Shih Tzu and he has been in my life for nearly 12 years. He has grown up with me, been there through so many moments of my life and has become so much more than just a dog. He is my little best friend and I love him to bits.
Hunter’s idea of the perfect day is pretty simple: go for a walk, eat, go for a car ride, come home and sleep. And when I say sleep, I mean really sleep. He snores so loudly sometimes that you can hear him from across the room! 😂
He absolutely LOVES his pig ears. But apparently, eating them isn’t enough Hunter likes to hide them too. He’ll wander around looking for the perfect secret hiding spot, as if we don’t know exactly what he’s doing.
He also loves going to the beach, although he seems to have a slight misunderstanding about what “getting clean” means. One time we took him to the beach and he got absolutely filthy, so we took him to get cleaned up. We brought him home, feeling very proud of our nice, clean dog… only for him to somehow be completely covered in dirt again five minutes later. 😂
And then there’s my older sister. Hunter gets SO excited whenever she comes over that I suddenly become yesterday’s news. For the duration of her visit, apparently she is his favourite person and I have been replaced. It’s slightly offensive, considering I’ve been here for nearly 12 years! 😂
As Hunter gets older, I treasure every walk, car ride, cuddle, snore and silly little habit more than ever. I know one day saying goodbye will be incredibly hard, so for now I just want to enjoy every moment I get with my funny, stubborn, food loving little mate.
Hunter has given me nearly 12 years of love, laughter and memories and I wouldn’t trade a single one. ❤️🐾
Sasha
This is my little soul mate Sasha. She past away in 2016 from kidney failure, with the help of Maddie and Stacey from NPVG, she was able to be euthanised at home at 3.10pm 25/7/2016. It was the hardest day of my life – NEVER a day goes by I don’t think of her.
Kevin
During COVID lockdown, two tiny male kittens, only around three days old, were brought into the clinic after being found on the side of the road outside a tyre shop in New Plymouth. At that age, with their eyes and ears still closed, they require feeding every two to three hours, so I decided to take them home and rear them until they were old enough to find new homes.
Sadly, one kitten struggled to feed and failed to gain weight, and he passed away after just a few days. His brother was suddenly left alone, so we made sure he received plenty of warmth, comfort and company.
With the rest of the family at home during lockdown, the children started wearing their hoodies backwards so the little kitten could snuggle inside, close to their hearts. My 12-year-old son even began helping with the night feeds, while my mum, who lives next door, helped during the day.
Once we discovered that the children had named him Kevin, from that moment on, there was never any question of rehoming him. Kevin had found his forever home — and he is still very much part of our family today
Zippy-Do-Dar, Buttercup & Mokey
Brew, Creed, and Tia
Brew boy (Heading Dog) was my first dog, and he was the best dog to ever exist. Brew was a retired working dog from a pretty rough background, and I adopted him when I was 18. He went from being locked in a kennel 24/7 to daily walks and sleeping on my bed. Brew was the most loyal dog I have ever met, he wouldn’t even look at another human if I was in the room. He was my best friend and we were so lucky to get 5 years with him before he passed.
Creed (German Shorthaired Pointer x Heading Dog) is our baby girl. We adopted her 6 years ago from a farm when she was 7 weeks old, and she was literally raised by a pig after her mum abandoned the litter to take herself hunting. She is full of life and has SO much love to give to everybody she comes across. Creedy is the sweetest wee girl, and has followed in her mother’s paw prints. She is a great little hunter herself and goes out hunting with my hubby.
Tia (Huntaway x Lab) is our latest addition. We adopted her through Retired Working Dogs Charity in January last year after her old owner came to the conclusion that she was very cute but very useless at any form of work. Tia has plenty to say and will bark at anything and everything, but her favourite thing to do is to play with Creed and go walking at Mangamahoe.
Sheru
Sheru came into our lives as a tiny Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy and very quickly became our first baby. Behind his strong Staffy appearance is the most affectionate, loyal and cheeky personality. He loves his ball, running around outside, rolling on the grass and being included in absolutely everything we do.
For years, Sheru was the baby of our family. Then our son Niwaaz arrived, and Sheru suddenly had a new role – big brother.
Watching their relationship develop has become one of our favourite things. As Niwaaz has grown, he has become fascinated with Sheru. He looks for him, follows him around, talks to him and always wants to know what he is doing. Sheru patiently takes it all in and is never too far away.
We have hundreds of photos and memories of Sheru from puppyhood until today, but they only capture a small part of what he means to us.
Sheru isn’t just our dog. He was our first baby, he’s now Niwaaz’s four-legged big brother, and our family simply wouldn’t be the same without him. ❤️
Sheru even has his own Instagram: @sheru_chattha 🐾
Bruno
Asta
Lily
A TINY TABBY STRAY
We are in our 80’s now and we had said “no more pets” – but Lily had other ideas. She took to sleeping on the compost bin in the sun or hiding under the house at night and it was a couple of weeks before we realised that she wasn’t just visiting. She was extremely timid and reluctant at first but gradual persuasion with food gradually enticed her into the garage and then the house. She allowed us to touch her and then to pick her up and finally she made herself at home and truly adopted us.
She was a very special cat. We had both enjoyed the companionship of cats all our lives but neither of us had known a soul like Lily. She reserved her affection for the two of us and no one else could understand the adoration we had for her. We were besotted. She rewarded us by always being close to us. She never left our property. At six o’clock every day she demanded her biscuit treats. She slept on our bed at night and often on my knee during the day. She entertained us by her quiet presence and we delighted in talking about her every mood and action.
Sadly our love affair with Lily was too short lived. After a series of medical events we had to say goodbye. It broke our hearts. But the strength of her presence remains, we see her still around the house and I feel her warmth and slight weight on my knee. Thank you Lily for choosing us, you brought magic to our lives.
Mindi
This is my cat Mindi. She’s 15 years old, I got her from the SPCA. She’s a very timid cat, loves her toys, tummy rubs, and loves her food.
Asha
My name is Asha and I was born in Middelburg in South Africa. My mother, Coco, was a Golden Retriever and my father, Jasper, a black Poodle. Some call me a Golden Doodle, others – a Retro Doodle. I have been visiting the Vet Group Clinic in New Plymouth for 6 years. Let me tell you a bit about myself and how I ended up moving from Africa to New Zealand.
One day my human Mum bought me a wooden house to sleep in and placed my bed inside. I thought it was kinda cool. I mean, how many dogs do you know who have their own bed in their own house, inside another house. Next thing I knew, I was in my wooden house being put on this big metal bird. I’d seen them in the sky but never been on one before! It was a bit scary when it made this big noise and started moving but I am brave, so I squeezed my eyes closed and waited. Soon it felt normal but when I looked out the window, I could see clouds next to me. Awesome! What seemed like hours later, the metal bird landed on the ground in a place called Dubai. I slept there for the night and the people were kind to me. The next morning, I was moved in my wooden house, back on to a metal bird again. I was excited to fly this time as I knew what to expect. Who cares about Dumbo, the flying elephant – here comes Asha, the flying dog!
When we finally landed on this little island called New Zealand, I was taken to stay with other dogs. They took my wooden house away! For ten days I had to sleep in a cage but I got to play outside when it was my turn, which was fun. I couldn’t believe it was real when I heard my human family. I could tell it was them from a mile away! Two big ones and two smaller ones. I love them so much and I was so happy to see them! I got lots of hugs and kisses. Soon I was in my new home: lying on the couch, lying in the sun, digging in the garden and stealing socks. That’s my favourite – stealing socks! It never fails to get attention from my humans… so much fun!
Benny Jr
This is Benny Jr, a 10 month old pitbull mixed breed. There are so many funny stories I have of this little guy since he came into my life, but I thought I’d share the story of how he became mine and how he got his name.
Bailey Wadey
Patrick aka Paddy aka Patrico (to sound flash)
We found Patrick on a video from TAPT from his foster parent. My husband saw the video and said, “Well, he’s a ‘Patrick,’ he’s ours!” – and the rest is history.
Patrick is cool, such personality, calm, very nosy, very social with everyone in the neighbourhood. We have received numerous photos of Patrick in people’s homes making himself at home up high on tables, curtains, beds, even asleep in a fruit bowl. He especially likes men, collects leaves as presents for us every day and delivers them to the same place in the middle of the floor so we don’t miss them.
We love our Patrick, he’s a keeper. ❤️
Piper
Our Bengal Piper.
She has always been an inquisitive girl, from the day she arrived at our home and now 10 years later, her antics continue to amuse us! As she knows her food is kept in the fridge, but she’s most curious as to why we are always in there! Haha must be the wine!
She has frequented NPVG each year (10) for her appointments and hates every minute…. haha!
She’s very sassy but loved by all.
Ralph
Ralph came to us as a foster at 14yrs young and rather chunky.
His original owner had passed away and another person took Ralph on, unfortunately he was not in a position to keep him. Ralph was then adopted, sadly that didn’t work out either as he kept jumping their fence. I guess living on a farm most of his life he was used to freedom.
Stormy and Sliver
For about three days the bunny stayed with my partner at his house, and the day came to move him into mine. I knew my mum would be a bit mad at me. Everything went alright, got him all set up and everything was going good. His first vet checkup was really good, the veterinarian said that he was a good weight and everything looked alright.
I could now put him outside in the current hatch he has now, and he loved his hatch but would always dig the ground and leave lots of little holes, so we made him a cage in a dirt pile and he loved it. We put a plastic tunnel in there, and you would just see him going crazy in and out of the tunnel.
Then 6 months goes by and I went back to the same Pet Essentials and adopted Silver. She was for sure a girl, she was so sassy and didn’t love the hugs. And I kept her inside till her first vet appointment, and that also went great, good weight and good teeth.
Then Storm’s second appointment come up and the vet was looking at him and I said something along, is he a good weight, my family thinks he’s a bit fat for a boy, and the vet said oh no, she’s not a boy, she has nipples, this is 100 percent a girl. And I was so dumbfounded, A GIRL, oh my gosh, I’ve been calling her my little boy for so long, and the vet said see, feel here and there, you behold her nipples. I just never had felt them before or even noticed, she was so sweet and loved to be cuddled unlike her sister, so I was so sure she was a boy.
After the appointment I ring both my parents and they are just giggling, so shocked as well.
Till this day I still call her my little boy haha
Sheldon
Some staff there may remember my boy Sheldon.
I was passing by a pet shop one day and felt a real compulsion to go in, and there he was, just crouched all alone in a little cage. He came home with me straight away and within hours we had bonded. Even though he was only 6 months old, he had already been through two homes before we found each other. He was terrified of males, glasses of water, loud noises and tall people so I suspect his first 6 months had not been happy ones. I quickly realised he had food issues, vomiting after almost every meal, but after a few vet visits we figured out a diet that worked for him.
As I say, we instantly bonded. He wouldn’t let anyone else touch him, and he loved to follow me on long walks. He learned several tricks, the best one being that he would lick his lips every time I asked him if he wanted ‘Milky’.
We had 13 fantastic years together until sadly one night a sudden blood clot in his spine took him quickly. I’ll always feel lucky to have had that time with my Sheldon and glad I could provide him with a safe and loving home
Panda
Hello there. I’m Panda a short haired black & white puss hence my name Panda. I am 21yrs old & two months. I have acquired much wisdom in that time and know how to get what I want .
I always lived with my mother & Joseph my brother until about 10mths ago. I became tired of just visiting the elderly gent across the street, so I moved in. After all Mum had Joseph for company and I needed to look after this gent. We get on fine cos he does what I want and that is the way of it. He is under My paw not the other way round.
Sadly though dear Joseph got very sick and died and that was a bit sad. Mum was very upset so I gave her more time and attention she seems to be okay now .
Joseph
Joseph was a beautiful grey & white cat with soft fur which got thoroughly washed everyday. Joseph was very quiet not like fidgeting Panda and settled to a quiet life with his mum and Panda. Joseph could jump high fences to explore new territories which he always loved to investigate. Sadly we lost Joseph after his 17th birthday. What a beautiful cat Joseph was. We so missed him.
Kitchu
17 years ago at the clinic a little kitten got brought in by the SPCA that had been found. He had his head and most of the top part of his body stuck in a Marmite jar. We thought he was about seven weeks old and looked very worse for wear, fur missing, a wound around his neck, swollen face, covered in fleas, just awful looking, definitely not the prettiest cat. He was black with a white moustache, chest and little white feet.
We managed to get the jar off his head, castrated him, flea and wormed him, gave him a check over, and he was set to go to the SPCA. After a couple of days they hadn’t picked him up, so in the mornings I would go in to move him because the nurses were like, oh my God, he’s crazy, out of control, he was completely feral. I’d say born wild. He would slam at the front of the cage hissing and spitting at you, a scary little kitten. I would have to get him out with welding gloves on and towels to put him in a clean cage, because he was used to being wild he didn’t know how to use a litter tray, and he would try to get out, so all the paper and blankets were all ripped up.
After a week the SPCA came to get him and said that he was probably unhomeable because he was so feral, then it was like, what are we going to do with him? Then the next morning I went in to do something else with another animal, and I heard this little meow. I turned around and he was peeking at me round the corner. So I thought, right, I will take you home, foster you and then try and get you a home.
So he lived in a crate for a month at my house. I needed welding gloves on to put food in and feed him, and then I would pat him with the gloves on while he was eating. I did this for a month, then after that he started to get a little bit braver and I could pat him without gloves. After a while I would let him out through the day into a room that still had the crate in, but he had the run of the whole room, then eventually out into the house. It took me another month or so to get him handleable and smoochy.
I had a friend say that she would possibly take him, but by then I must say I had fallen in love with him. Now, he was the first male cat that I’d ever had, totally different to females, so much more cuddly and cruisy. I always felt like he was so grateful for rescuing him, if I brought other cats home to foster or brought them into the family he just accepted them. He became such a handsome, lovable, goofy, big cuddly, cruisy boy.
I shifted when he was about 7 years old, he didn’t handle the shift very well. He had made a friend next door at my old place and it was so sweet, he would go over there for sleepovers and she’d come over to our house, Daffodil was her name, a wee tortoiseshell, that friendship was really cute. We shifted not far, but he always just sat there staring out to space, and then six months later he just vanished. I went over to the old place, there he was, thank God, so I brought him back, this went on back and forward for about a month. Then he came home for probably a year, then would go back and forward himself for weeks at a time, then he would turn up like he’d never been away, meowing, telling us all about his adventures.
Kitchu means “brave little soul”. He is now 17, he is one of my little rescue success stories… or foster fails. Safe to say I do not foster anymore as I keep them. I’ve learnt so much from him and love dealing with wild cats/kittens, he is proof you can tame the wildest kittens into the most loving, chilled, beautiful cats with love and patience, I love him so much and grateful he chose me.
Jones
Home Wreckers
Guacamole
Zeb Doggy Dogg
Zeb – affectionately known as Zeb Doggy Dogg, in tune with Snoop Doggy Dogg – was my dog. I got him from Auckland while studying Vet Nursing in Whanganui, and he followed my vet nursing journey from 2009, when he used to walk to work with me and hang out in the back of the clinic, testing my patience as a new graduate already stressed about learning the ropes, by regularly escaping, of course. He loved going to the beach and farming, and even took part in the New Plymouth Vet Group’s ‘Around the Mountain Relay’ team, completing the 5km leg from Inglewood to Norfolk Hall alongside me — a great participant, out-running the rest of us. He loved walking along the Te Henui Walkway and swimming in the Te Henui Stream and the Waiwakaiho River. He was a loving big fur brother to my three human babies, and we all miss him dearly.
Doug
Doug’s story started in a place no puppy should ever have to know. At just six weeks old, he was dumped in public toilets. He was tiny, frightened and far too young to understand why the people he should have been able to trust had left him behind.
Somehow, though, his story didn’t end there. He was taken to the pound, where we found him. When my partner and I adopted Doug, we had no idea how much he would change our lives. He was only a little puppy, but he quickly became so much more than that. He became our baby, our best friend, and a huge part of our little family. For the first two weeks, everything felt like the beginning of a beautiful life together. We watched him grow into his personality, learned all his funny little habits and fell completely in love with him. Then, at just eight weeks old, Doug had his first seizure.
We were terrified. From that moment on, life looked different. We never stopped hoping, never stopped trying and never stopped searching for ways to help him. We did everything we could to give him the happiest and most normal life possible. We treasured the good days and learned to appreciate every little moment. And Doug had so many moments worth treasuring. He loved being with us. He loved adventures. But more than anything, he loved the beach. There was something about watching Doug at the beach that made everything else disappear. He was free. He would run, explore, play and take in every smell like the whole world had been made just for him. His happiness was contagious, and those beach days became some of our most precious memories.
Doug never knew that his life had started with someone giving up on him. He only knew that he was loved. He knew what it was like to have a family who would fight for him, care for him and make every day count. He knew warm beds, cuddles, adventures, treats, beach trips and the feeling of being home. For almost two years, we did everything we could to give him the life he deserved. But eventually, his seizures became too severe and uncontrollable, and we had to make the most heartbreaking decision of our lives.
At just two years old, we had to say goodbye. It felt cruel that a dog who had already been abandoned once had to leave us so soon. But Doug’s life was never defined by the way it began, or by the way it ended. It was defined by everything in between. He went from a six-week-old puppy abandoned in a public toilet to a deeply loved member of our family. He taught us that a life doesn’t have to be long to be meaningful, and that sometimes the smallest lives leave the biggest holes when they’re gone. We wish we could have had more time.
You were only with us for two years, but you were loved for every second of them.
COMING SOON
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