Ponsonby Rd shooting: Victim Rob Horne starred in heartwarming TVNZ reality show The Dog House NZ

Rob Horne and Amanda Gada as they appeared on TVNZ's The Dog House NZ.

The innocent victim of this week’s Ponsonby Rd shooting starred in a heartwarming TVNZ reality show last year, joking and laughing as he and his flatmate adopted a rescue dog.

Rob Horne and his flatmate and friend Amanda Gada starred in TVNZ’s The Dog House NZ, a reality show that matches Kiwi families and friends with dogs.

The pair featured prominently in the first episode of season one in February last year - laughing and joking as they met and adopted a young male staffy cross, Fred, a rescue dog from Northland.

Horne, 33, was shot and killed by Hone Kay-Selwyn on Sunday night - Horne had just exited a taxi on Ponsonby Rd with a group of mates.

Kay-Selwyn, a member of the Killer Beez gang, was found dead on a Taupō property on Tuesday night.

Police say the two men did not appear to know each other; the killing has been described as senseless.

They said today Kay-Selwyn’s death was not suspicious and had been referred to the coroner.

Amanda Gada and Rob Horne as they appeared on TVNZ's The Dog House NZ.

On The Dog House NZ, Horne and Amanda Gada discuss their approach to parenting a dog, as they are introduced to viewers.

Amanda: “I imagine Rob will not [be] the disciplinarian - that’ll fall on me.”

Rob: “Yep...”

Amanda: “He’ll probably be the fun parent.”

Rob: “Amanda’s going to worry about it more than what I am. I’m probably not going to worry about it as much as what she wants me to, but somewhere in the middle we’re going to parent with a whole lot of a success.”

One of the show’s hosts asks how long the couple have been together.

“Not like that!” says Amanda.

“As much as she wishes,” jokes Rob.

He explains the pair are flatmates and he’s there as moral support, “as much as anything”.

Amanda says Rob turned up as a flatmate for her Auckland home; “for a random, he’s great”.

Rob, who ran his own drainlaying business, laughs: “I’m not a rescue human. I’ve done alright!”.

Horne’s death has left show producers devastated.

“Rob featured on an episode of The Dog House NZ,” said a South Pacific Pictures spokesperson.

“We found him to be a beautiful, kind and gentle person. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Rob’s whanau and friends.”

Rob Horne and Amanda Gada with Fred on TVNZ's The Dog House NZ.

Amanda Gada posted on Facebook this week: “I met you as a flatmate, and now I love you as a brother. My heart is broken with the loss of you”.

In comments to that post, one friend wrote: “Rob made me feel so welcome in your home. He was hilarious, extremely generous, and best of all the friendship he had with you and the furry fam, especially Fred, was so special.

“I am so, so sorry to hear this horrible news. It’s senseless and incomprehensible”.

Earlier this week, a long-time close friend of Horne said he was a “very likeable guy” and “loved by everyone”.

He said Horne had a partner and was planning on having children.

“He just had such a big heart.”

Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor.