My Rescue Pet: The houseboat Bull-Terrier

Cleo was nervous, afraid and unloved before she found her new home. Photo / Supplied

Surrendered to the Auckland SPCA when she was just seven-months-old, Cleo was extremely nervous and stressed.

"She was very shut down and very fearful when she met other dogs and people," a SPCA spokesperson said.

The shelter was no place for a dog like Cleo, she needed a home where she could build her confidence.

After four months, she was found by her new mother.

This family was a little different to most though, they lived on a boat.

Vivienne Coppins was visiting friends in Auckland over the summer when she found the dog she had been looking for.

"Friends said that they were going to check out the SPCA, so I went along with them.

"The moment I saw Cleo I fell in love instantly."

Packing up the car, Coppins drove all the way home to Picton before driving all the way back to Auckland and retrieving Cleo.

"Cleo has improved our life. She is so loving and wants to be with us all the time," Coppins says.

Cleo is still frightened of some things, but is safe in her new home and is looked after well.

"Once she knows where home is, she never wants to leave," says Coppins.

How to adopt

If you are interested in adopting a pet from the SPCA, visit www.rnzspca.org.nz or call the Auckland SPCA on (09) 256 7300.