Still no sign of missing Harawene

A plaque has been placed at the site of a missing dog's roadside kennel.

The stray dog - Harawene - has been missing for more than a week. The canine icon had lived alone, on the side of Te Ngae Rd for 15 years.

Te Ngae Rd resident Rob MacGregor has placed a plaque on the fence beside Harawene's kennel.

"I have known her as long as she has been here and I just think it is a fitting way to remember her."

Mr MacGregor said Harawene was a Rotorua identity and deserved to be remembered.

"I have put the sign up without permission ... I don't care if the council take it down, I'm just going to put it back up again," Mr MacGregor said.

"People are going to stop and put tributes down likes flowers and cards, it will all be for her."

Local residents fear Harawene was run over on busy Te Ngae Rd.

She did not usually venture onto the road, prompting speculation that the dog may have been sick and wandered onto the busy highway.

Gloria Jennings and Steve Brown buried what they believed to be Harawene's remains last Friday.

Mokoia Intermediate bus driver Allan Neill said Harawene made people feel good.

"I think she is something we took for granted, everyone liked her and she did make you smile every time you drove past."

Mokoia Intermediate pupils say they'll miss her.

Maraea Grant, 11, said they had always tried to see the dog when they drive along Te Ngae Rd.

"We used to shout 'hi' out the window to it ... I think everyone liked it because it looked homeless and it was really cute."

Teamoroa Grant, 11, said her family always wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl.

"Everyone has been talking about it, all my friends are saying how sad it is that she might be dead."



Rotorua animal control officer Kevin Coutts said he has received "heaps" of calls from members of the public asking about Harawene's whereabouts.

Mr Coutts said he went out to look for Harawene again yesterday and there was "certainly no sign of her".

TRIBUTES

Do you have special memories of Harawene? Send your tributes to us and we will publish them in Saturday's Daily Post.

Contact us

Email editor@dailypost.co.nz or write to PO Box 1442, Rotorua.