New puppy a cute attraction at Te Puke Waipuna Hospice Shop

Te Puke Waipuna Hospice Shop manager Catherine Sipson with new arrival Jock, an 8-week-old west highland terrier.

There's plenty of puppy love going on at Te Puke's Waipuna Hospice shop.

New arrival Jock, a west highland terrier puppy, is proving to be a small dog with a big presence.

Jock is owned by shop manager Catherine Sipson. She welcomed him into her home a year after her beloved Angus - who had been a permanent fixture in the shop since it opened over six years ago - died.

''We call him Jock McGorgeous,'' she says of the new arrival.

Those wanting to see Jock will need to pick their time as, more often than not, when the store opens, he is having a snooze.

''I start early and when I get here I put him on a lead and take him around with me, restocking the shelves and things. I do 10,000-15,000 steps in the shop in a day, so that tires him out and by 10am he's done his two hour shift and is ready for a sleep.''

When he's not sleeping, he spends much of his time sniffing out a bargain, says
Catherine.

''He has snacks and sleeps, so he's not the most productive volunteer, but he's probably one of the cutest.''

At home Catherine says it's a bit like having a newborn, and she has had a few sleepless nights.

''That was until I had some sage advice from one of the volunteers to put him in the garage in a pen,'' she says.

While the store is open six days a week Jock is only there Monday to Friday.