Rescue dogs
Words Emily Pattullo
Filmed at the Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary near Warkworth, a new series aimed at pairing unwanted dogs with new owners starts this month and it’s feel-good fun for all the family.
From out of the gloom of TV tedium emerges a ray of hope for some lucky animals – and viewers. A reality show called 'The Dog House' that highlights the on-going issue of unwanted pets – especially post-covid – but concludes with a happy ending matching a fortunate few with lucky new owners.
Having proved a huge hit both in the UK and Australia, a New Zealand version of 'The Dog House' is coming to TVNZ. Sticking faithfully to the tried and tested formula, it is set in a dog rescue centre (in this case Country Retreat and Animal Sanctuary) where hopeful new owners prepare to meet the dog of their dreams. According to Helen who runs the sanctuary, it’s rarely the dog they think they’re going to get, “They come in with one thing in mind and usually go home with something totally different.”
But it’s not as simple as them liking the look of each other and job done, it’s a stringent process overseen by Helen who has been pairing pups with people for many years. “It’s not a case of someone coming in and ordering the exact dog they want and me handing it over and taking the money, it’s a huge process and I do my research. New owners don’t realise they are the ones being interviewed. Body language and how they interact with the animals plays a big part,” she says.
Rescuing dogs has become Helen’s life over the past 10 years when they first brought the property which was then only a kennels. She, and her partner Gavin, had always wanted to run a rescue centre which they started out of their garage soon after. Now it’s a well-established, much-needed refuge not only for dogs but people too. “Everyone that works here is a volunteer, they do it for love, and they all feature in the show.”
One lucky couple from Waikato, who star in the second episode aired on 23 February, went home with a dog they never imagined owning. Heidi and Steve recall wanting a small dog initially, but as owners of rescue rabbits, it was suggested by Helen that a small dog wouldn’t be suitable. Helen says she knew instantly which dog was for them, a puppy called Elizabeth (Bee), and Heidi agrees, “When that big tumble of excitement came in we fell in love with her.”
“You can see from our reactions that a Shar Pei never crossed our minds,” says Steve. “I can’t imagine us being with any other kind of dog now.”
The couple had always wanted a dog together, to give it a forever home in a stable environment. In fact, they were so happy with Bee that they adopted another Shar Pei sister for her as company.
Although she was very apprehensive about doing 'The Dog House', Helen says she did it for the animals. “It’s been a great platform to highlight the amount of work and commitment that goes into re-homing dogs. The show’s organisers and crew have been brilliant, they really listened to my advice,” says Helen.
During this interview, Helen received a picture of a litter of puppies and a plea for her to home them, “I would take them all if I could but often I just can’t,” she says, clearly upset. And with good reason: by turning them away she knew it would mean “they would have to be destroyed. If dogs don’t get adopted there is no room for more who need rescuing and so it goes on.”
The sanctuary has been inundated with dogs since Covid, “It’s been a huge problem for us, everyone getting puppies during lockdown and then going back to work and realising they can’t keep the dogs anymore. Or they haven’t known to neuter them and suddenly there’s a litter of puppies they can’t look after.”
Steve and Heidi are huge advocates for adopting and can’t recommend it enough, “Having Bee come into my life has really helped my mental health with not working,” says Steve. “People get healed by animals, give dogs a chance.”
The Dog House NZ, Thursdays, 7.30pm on TVNZ 2.
www.CountryRetreatAnimalSanctuary.org
www.TVNZ.co.nz/Shows/The-Dog-House-nz