SPCA AUCKLAND

MEDIA RELEASE

FEBRUARY 2012

Adopted dog finds new owners 6 km away in the dark

Initially Jane didn’t want to adopt Ollie, a four-year-old golden retriever with what she describes as ‘issues’. But in August 2011, her husband met the dog at SPCA Auckland while visiting on business and asked Jane to welcome Ollie into their home.

“We already had Simba, our 12-year-old labrador, and I didn’t want him to get pushed to the side,” says Jane. “But my husband reckoned we ‘needed’ Ollie and I got out-voted by the rest of the family.”

It took Ollie a while to trust his new family but now that he does, he doesn’t like being separated from them – a fact that was emphatically illustrated in January this year when Jane and her husband were at a party in Te Puru Heights, Auckland.

“All was good. Men were in the ‘man cave’ and girls were sinking bubbles,” says Jane.

“But about 11pm Ollie turned up in the garden muddy and panting. He has never been to the street, let alone to the house before. My husband and I accused each other of playing a trick. But no – Ollie had broken out of our house, navigated the six kilometres from Beachlands to Te Puru Heights, to a house that he had never seen, and found us.

“I think we can officially say he’s part of the family now.”

It’s a stunning example of how an animal with a chequered past can learn to trust and love the people who adopt them, says SPCA Auckland CEO Christine Kalin.

“Animals are capable of forming special bonds with humans – even if they haven’t had the best start in life,” says Christine. “Jane and her family have done a wonderful job of welcoming Ollie into their lives and Ollie’s really made himself one of the family. He’s an excellent ambassador for the SPCA adoption service.”

Jane says Ollie still has a few issues – he is afraid of big trucks, men in high-visibility vests, and fireworks – but she’s extremely happy with him.

“When we first had him he wouldn’t make eye contact and rarely wagged his tail. Now he knows we’re his ‘pack’ he feels safe. Dogs need to know that someone is in charge and he’s got that now. It means he can relax and ‘be himself’.

“The other day we were out walking and we could see some people having a barbeque. There was lots of smoke and, when we got about 100 metres away, Ollie stopped and would not budge. I persuaded him to walk on but two steps later he sat down again. He looked from me to the smoke as if to say: ‘Mum, there’s danger, let’s not go there.’

“I love my dog.”

ENDS

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