Nine months pregnant Pickles (Nicole Flaws, left) holding Faye's baby chihuahua Pickles, and Faye Emery with chihuahua Bubbles. Photo / Rachel Canning
Nine months pregnant Pickles (Nicole Flaws, left) holding Faye's baby chihuahua Pickles, and Faye Emery with chihuahua Bubbles. Photo / Rachel Canning
What could be better than one chihuahua? Two chihuahuas of course.
It's taken Faye Emery nearly three years to get her life back after she was in a devastating car crash just north of Taupō, and now she has a new baby in her life.
On January 18, 2019, Faye and three of her great-grandchildren were involved in a collision at the intersection of Wairakei Dr and Huka Falls Rd. She and the children were taken to Waikato Hospital but her chihuahua Bubbles fled, sparking a 17-day search.
The northbound driver, a Swiss tourist, was convicted of three charges of careless driving causing injury and fined.
The Taupō community banded together and was successful in helping Faye find her beloved pet.
When she was finally ready to leave the hospital, Faye says she was so overwhelmed with the community support that she was happy to move to Taupō, although a continuing knee infection had prevented her living life to the fullest.
An operation in March seems to have fixed the infection problem and Faye is full of praise for Rotorua orthopaedic surgeon Dr Alan Crombie.
"Thanks to him I have a metal knee with metal prongs extending to my upper and lower leg," she says.
Not long after her operation, Faye got a second chihuahua, a miniature, "my new baby", but still had limited mobility.
While deciding what to name her new pet, Faye found inspiration when she was helped out by local police officer Nicole Flaws, who has the nickname Pickles.
"I was in the park with Bubbles and my baby, being pushed along in my wheelchair and it got stuck. Along came police officer Pickles who pushed the wheelchair free. I named [the dog] Pickles in her honour."
Nicole says lots of police officers joined in the search for Bubbles when she went missing after the crash.
"Heaps of us are animal lovers," she says.
Faye Emery and beloved chihuahua Bubbles. Hundreds of people searched for Bubbles in 2019. Photo / NZME
The pair stay in touch, with Faye sometimes popping into the Taupō police station to have coffee with Nicole, who is now a proud mother to a brand-new baby girl.
"I'm pretty lucky to have a new puppy named after me," Nicole says.
The injured great-grandchildren completely recovered from the crash, and Faye has rostered them all in for back-to-back visits over the summer holidays.
Her family are yet to meet Pickles because initially, he was too small to travel, and then Auckland went into lockdown. She says there was some confusion when she told them her new puppy's name.
"They said 'you named him after a jar of pickles?'."
After moving to Taupō, Faye struggled with unsuitable accommodation for a long time.
"I told my landlord, find me a new house, or I will be living in my car."
Faye Emery and her pet chihuahua Bubbles are both very strong ladies. Rescuer Ken Moody receives a kiss from the chihuahua who survived out in the open for 17 days. Photo / Supplied
Now she, Bubbles and Pickles are settled in a lovely three-bedroom home with a garden that is large enough for the dogs and a generous vegetable garden.
"I can't wait for my family, who are all in lockdown in Auckland, to come and stay for Christmas," Faye says.
Her strength is improving, she has just ditched her crutches, and is getting close to achieving her long-held dream of taking her dogs for a walk along the lakefront.
Nicole says this Christmas she and partner John Koko will be focusing on their new baby. She has taken a year's maternity leave from the police but is already looking forward to getting back.
"I hear the sirens going past and wonder what's going on."
A recognisable figure around Taupō town, Faye says she loves meeting people who helped in the search for Bubbles, "I am so grateful", and takes delight in introducing Pickles to children.
"He loves going to town and being fussed over, the children always think he is a baby because he is so small, he's tiny compared to Bubbles."
Faye says she is grateful to have her health, two dogs to love and a lovely home.
"I would like to wish everyone in Taupō a very merry Christmas."
