Whanganui canines celebrated for healing ways in new book

Merenia Donne (left) and Sandy De Kock with assistance dog Lola and her page in the book Kiwi Working Dogs. Photo / Bevan Conley

Cats may be reputed to have nine lives but some dogs also have different roles to play during their lifetimes.

Kiwi Working Dogs - a new book by photographers Jo Caird and Paula George - profiles 35 New Zealand canines "employed" to assist humans with everything from apprehending criminals to assisting with medical and emotional needs to hunting truffles.

"Most people know about police dogs, guide dogs and sheepdogs but there are canines working across an incredible range of areas in New Zealand," Caird said.

"We discovered that many search and rescue dogs come from the pound whereas drug detector dogs at the airport, for instance, are specially bred."

Photo / Bevan Conley

Two of the featured dogs have been trained through the Whanganui-based Kotuku Foundation established by Merenia Donne in 2006.

The foundation's byline "Assistance Animals Aotearoa" gives some indication of the work it does, training dogs to assist people with disabilities and medical conditions.

Lola - once a racing dog named Kinetic Flyer - became a disability assistance dog to local artist Sandy de Kock when she was suffering from depression.

A severe leg injury ended Lola's racing days and she became part of the Heeling Hounds Programme - a collaboration between Greyhounds As Pets, and Women's Refuge.

Now 9, Lola has become a full-time companion to de Kock who says Lola also provides support and comfort to anyone who needs it.

"She has an innate ability to sense when a person needs a bit of tenderness."

The other local canine featured in Kiwi Working Dogs is Taranaki-based Molly - a little black spaniel trained as a diabetic response dog.

Molly was a pet to 8-year-old Esther Schofer when the Kotuku Foundation trainer first assessed her.

"Pet dogs are seldom suitable and we need to know that the dog will be able to work independently with their owner," Donne said.

"It was an exceptional situation because Esther had done an amazing job of training Molly to do all kinds of things."

With training from the Kotuku Foundation's Flip Calkoen and Esther's mother Kylee, Molly now monitors Esther's blood sugar levels to help control her type1 diabetes using her sense of smell to detect changes.

Donne, whose German shepherd Nikki saved her life by dragging her from a car wreck more than 20 years ago, knows the myriad benefits dogs bring to humans.

In recent years, she has been working with the Returned and Services' Association to recruit dogs to work with military veterans.

Last year the foundation acquired Nadya and Anya - two borzoi puppies donated by Stratford breeder Warwick Goodin.

De Kock, who had experience with the breed, took on the responsibility for training them.

"They have wonderful temperaments for such young dogs," she said.

Donne said dogs must be 2 years old before they can be assigned for specific training but she hopes that Nadya and Anya may become veteran support dogs.

Kiwi Working Dogs is available in Whanganui from Whitcoulls and Paperplus.