At the time police told the Guy family not to speak to anyone about the disappearance because that information could help police, but investigators spent months looking at all burglaries in the area and concluded Macdonald killed and buried the puppies to deflect their inquiries.
This week the Herald on Sunday visited Tui and Sue, two members of the Guys' litter of chocolate labradors.
Tui belongs to the family of Guy's former farm worker, Matthew Ireland, and Sue belongs to Jo Moss, a close friend of Kylee Guy.
Ireland and Moss have both given evidence in the trial.
Tui and Sue are no longer puppies: they are boisterous 2-year-old bundles of energy.
Moss described Sue as "very bouncy" and "quite hyper".
Sue had brought Moss great joy, despite her bad habit of chewing Moss' things.
"You just can't leave anything lying around because she'll just take it to the back door [and chew it]," she laughed. But Sue had also grown into a natural hunting retriever and would go out duck- or pheasant-shooting with Moss' husband, Evan. "Evan's rapt with her."
Moss had only owned male dogs in the past. "I always thought a dog's a dog, but you can definitely tell she's a girl. When I take her for a walk she stays right beside me," Moss said. "She's very cuddly. "
Sue was affectionately known as "gannet-guts" for her propensity to eat anything. At tea time they'd say "Suzie" and she'd go and sit in her kennel and wait for dinner.
Tui had a similar love of food and would try to run inside the second the fridge door opened.
Ireland's mother, Mandy, said at those moments Tui would sit looking up at her expectantly.
He was so named because of the white patch on his tummy and, like his sister, was lots of fun and loved to play.
"Matthew will go out in the park with a rugby ball and Tui will catch the ball."
Tui liked to get involved with whatever was going on around him - to feel helpful... "He's quite good."
Moss said two of the other puppies had gone to one family and another to an older couple.
