Hastings man Duncan Torwick believes his young pup Daisy is the only reason he is still here after suddenly becoming paralysed while surfcasting at Haumoana Beach last year.
Hastings man Duncan Torwick believes his young pup Daisy is the only reason he is still here after suddenly becoming paralysed while surfcasting at Haumoana Beach last year.
In October, Duncan Torwick was left suddenly paralysed and, with the Haumoana surf slowly coming up around him, he believed he was a goner until his young dog Daisy alerted a beach walker to the situation.
After Daisy “literally” saved Torwick’s life, the Hastings man decided to enter her into the SPCA’s Pets of the Year competition, where people enter their favourite pet photo for a chance to win the cover of SPCA’s 2024 calendar and the title of SPCA Pet of the Year.
This competition is also a chance for animal lovers to raise money with their pets for the SPCA. If an entrant raises $150 or more, their pet is guaranteed a spot in the calendar or on the collage pages.
Torwick says he entered Daisy because he loves animals and wants to do his bit to help raise funds for the SPCA so it can continue to help and look after vulnerable and neglected animals and hopefully find them loving/caring people or families and forever homes.
Back in 2022, Duncan Torwick adopted Daisy from the SPCA and said it was the best decision ever made because Daisy is now his best friend.
In Torwick’s eyes, Daisy, who he adopted from the SPCA last year, is already the best pet of the year.
“Daisy is really special to me because she literally saved my life,” he said.
On October 30, Torwick was fishing at Haumoana Beach and had Daisy tied to a rod stand on a long lead so she could move freely.
“About 6.30pm I went to cast one of my rods and as I went to walk back up the beach something caused me to stumble and I was unable to recover, and landed on my back.
“It was at that point when I went to get up I realised that I could not feel my legs or arms and I knew I was paralysed, so I lay there calling for help but no one was around to hear me,” Torwick said.
As the tide came in the water eventually reached Torwick and began to move him around and he was eventually flipped face down.
“By this time it was starting to get dark and I thought no one was going to find me when, all of a sudden, I caught a glimpse of Daisy getting all excited out of the corner of my eye and that’s when I knew that someone was there.”
After saving her owner’s life, Daisy is now in the running for SPCA’s Pet of the Year award.
Next thing Torwick knew, he could hear a male voice calling out and asking if he was okay. On the ground face down, Torwick managed to reply, “no I need help, I am paralysed”.
The man dragged Torwick out of the water and called emergency services, getting Torwick straight into an ambulance and on his way to the hospital.
He later found out that a lady walking her dog had seen Daisy tied up all alone and thought it was a bit strange. The woman went for only half her normal walk and came back to see Daisy still tied up alone; it was then that she spotted Torwick in the surf.
At first, the woman thought Torwick was a dead body because he was face down, so she ran up and got her neighbour, who was the one who pulled him to safety.
“So that is why I think Daisy should win Pet of the Year, because she is a lifesaver and a hero, even though she will never know it.”
He believes “she is a hero and deserves to be on the cover” of the SPCA Pet of the Year calendar.
The Hastings local is still recovering from his injuries at the Burwood spinal hospital in Christchurch. While he is in Christchurch, Daisy is at home in Hawke’s Bay with Torwick’s mum.
However, he gets sent photos of her each morning and Facetime calls every evening, which he said “is great, but not the same as being there with her in person”.
“Although we are sure she has some sort of mental connection with me, as twice the other night she went and put her head in mum’s lap and nosed her phone right before my text came through,” Torwick said.
Daisy has already raised more than $500 for the SPCA through her Pet of the Year entry and is well on her way to reaching her fundraising goal.
Now all that is left is to win Pet of the Year and make the front cover of the 2024 calendar.
