After reading the Rotorua Daily Post’s story yesterday about the $10,000 statue being cut off its base at the paws, Alan Cato has pledged the funds for another Harawene statue to be made, saying: “She has got to go back where she belongs”.
It’s not known when the hollow bronze statue of the adored terrier cross was taken but locals have said it was there last week.
Just two paws and a plaque remain on a rock that was the home of Harawene's memorial. Photo / Andrew Warner
For 15 years, the life-sized memorial to the terrier cross stood on a large rock in an area she used to roam beside Te Ngae Rd/State Highway 30, at the eastern entrance to Rotorua.
There was an outpouring of emotion after Harawene was presumably run over in April 2008.
Harawene, photographed here in 2005, sat on the side of Te Ngae Rd watching traffic for about 14 years. Photo / Andrew Warner
A fundraising committee raised $10,000 for a memorial statue to be made and placed on the Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands site, opposite McDonald’s near the intersection with Robinson Ave.
Her statue was unveiled by the committee before about 50 people just over a year after her disappearance.
A plaque describes the statue as a “memorial of affection” to Harawene, “a treasured pet of the people of Rotorua”.
Cato was moved to take action after reading Harawene’s story.
The plaque on Harawene's statue. Photo / Andrew Warner
“It almost brought me to tears. We are dog lovers and we have a lot of history with Rotorua,” he told the Rotorua Daily Post.
Cato said he used to holiday in Rotorua with his family and would bring his two sons to the city to go trout fishing.
“One way or another I will pay the price up to $10,000.
“She has to go back to where she belongs ... The dog had a right to live on in our memories and it’s not appropriate for someone to nick it.”
Cato said he was touched by the story because it reminded him of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh.
The heartwarming legend, which has been questioned over the years, was that he spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died in January 1972.
The story continues to be well-known in Scotland through books and films and a memorial statue, which Cato described as similar to Harawene’s, had become a tourist attraction.
Greyfriars Bobby, who remained on his master's grave for 14 years. Photo / British Tourist Authority
Cato said his sons attended university in Edinburgh and he would take them to see the statue of Greyfriars Bobby.
He said the epitaph, which read “Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”, was significant in Harawene’s situation.
“This is the key sentiment behind my offer.”
Fiona Cairns, who led the fundraising committee for the original hollow statue to be built, said the offer from Cato was incredible.
Fiona Cairns with Harawene's memorial statue in 2009. Photo / Kelvin Teixeira
She said a wax mould used by the sculptor, the late Fridtjof Hanson from Taranaki, was still in storage and could be used if another sculptor was found.
She said she didn’t think she would offer to lead a new project this time given the amount of work that was involved.
However, she said she was willing to offer as much help as she could if someone stepped forward to be the project manager.
She said the statue was not solid bronze and if someone had stolen it for money, they would be “bitterly disappointed”.
Police have said no one has reported the statue missing.
McDonald’s Rotorua franchise owner Rob Parry said its CCTV did not reach where the statue stood.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
