By Venetia Sherson*
Rolly's first toy was a small, second-hand teddy bear. It was the only thing he brought with him when he was delivered to Caitlin Nugent and Robbie Macgregor in August 2021.
Nugent and Macgregor weren't planning on getting a dog. The couple both work on super yachts in Europe - she's a chief stewardess, he's a chief officer - but Covid-19 restrictions meant they were landlocked in Auckland.
While they waited out the isolation period, Caitlin worked remotely at Robbie's house, doing PR work for an Auckland clothing company while Robbie worked on his motorcycle. After Caitlin saw a friend's Instagram post highlighting SPCA's need for foster animal carers, the couple looked through the mugshots on the SPCA website and saw a bright-eyed brindle puppy wearing a blue bowtie.
"That one," said Robbie.
"That one" was a 12-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross puppy that SPCA staff named Rolly. He'd been found by a jogger near bush at Mangere with no ID, a situation not unusual during the pandemic as dogs wandered the near-empty streets unsupervised. No one claimed him.
Robbie Macgregor and Rolly, who is now almost too big to cuddle. Photo: Caitlin Nugent
Rolly quickly established himself as a curious and smart puppy and the couple became fond of him. They put treats in a plastic bottle for him to extricate, taught him how to wrestle with an old t-shirt and gave him ice cubes to suck. He learned new tricks, enjoyed short walks and slept on their bed at night.
But the couple was worried. They were due to head back overseas early in the new year.
"There was no way we were going to return him to a shelter," says Caitlin.
She knew if she couldn't find someone to take him, she and Robbie would have no choice but to reconfigure their lives so they could keep him, which would mean the end of their work on yachts.
Caitlin's parents, Louise and Mike Nugent, live a short distance from where their daughter and Robbie were living during lockdown. They knew how much the couple had come to love the dog. But they were still grieving the death of their family pet Murphy, who had been put down two months before due to poor health. The couple was not ready to welcome another dog into their home.
"I was on an emotional rollercoaster. It just felt too soon," Louise says.
In the interim, she and Mike agreed to walk Rolly while Caitlin and Robbie worked from home. When Covid restrictions eased, they took him to the local dog park to socialise with other dogs, followed by a puppucino at Starbucks café. When Caitlin and Robbie were away for a week, they looked after him fulltime.
Like Caitlin and Robbie, they became besotted with this dog, who seemed to know he had found his forever home.
"I was the last to crack," says Louise.
Mike needed less persuasion. He judged Rolly "super clever" from the start, admiring his boldness and his placid nature. He knows Staffies have a reputation as fighting dogs, but that a well-trained dog knows its place in the human world and behaves accordingly.
"It's like a child," he says, "they need to know the boundaries."
On 20 October, Louise and Mike formally adopted Rolly.
Robbie Macgregor and Caitlin Nugent with Robbie's parents' dog, Milly. Photo: Supplied
Three months later, when Caitlin and Robbie sailed from Auckland to Spain for a trip that would last 18 months, they knew their dog was in a happy place.
Rolly's story is not unique. But it's one that still warms the heart of SPCA general manager Dr Corey Regnerus-Kell, who sees the best and worst of animal care.
He's responsible for SPCA's 28 centres nationwide, as well as the national animal welfare inspectorate which oversees prosecutions. On any day, animals can arrive ravaged by neglect or traumatised by abuse; many are too young to survive without care.
The week before we speak, 11 newborn puppies had been found in a box dumped by the roadside in Huntly.
In the last financial year, more than 6000 dogs have ended up in shelters in New Zealand. It's been an at-times overwhelming situation for SPCA, despite the numbers of Kiwis coming forward to foster or adopt unwanted dogs.
Now, the increased cost of living has meant fewer people are willing to adopt dogs. Others can no longer afford to care for their pets. The average time for a dog to be adopted used to be 45 days, now it's 56.
"There is a definite slowdown," Regnerus-Kell says.
SPCA general manager Dr Corey Regnerus-Kell: "We know people love their pets and want to do what's best for them." Photo: SPCA
SPCA is facing an increasing number of requests to take over the care of their animals. Owners say the cost of pet food, veterinary fees and pet insurance is adding pressure to their household bills.
"We have people coming to us all the time saying, 'I'm really trying to do my best, but (my cat or dog) is really skinny because I can't afford to feed it."
He says while the organisation will take in an animal if there are serious concerns about its welfare, it prefers to support owners to keep the animal by providing resources and advice.
"We look after the sick, the injured and the vulnerable, which keeps us well busy without having to worry about other issues out there."
Nevertheless, he feels for owners who are on the brink.
"We don't judge. We know people love their pets and want to do what's best for them."
While there is a slowdown in adoptions, he is constantly amazed by the public's goodwill when it comes to rescue animals.
When SPCA reduced its adoption fees this month, 300 of the 1100 dogs available were snapped up in the first weekend.
"New Zealanders are very generous," he says.
He wasn't surprised to learn Rolly had initially been fostered as a short-term measure but was later adopted.
"We call them 'foster fails'. While that sounds negative, it is the opposite. It means that the foster parents have fallen in love with the dog and want to offer it a forever home. It happens all the time."
Rolly loves to chase sticks, balls and rabbits. Photo: Nick Munro / RNZ
Three years on from his adoption, Rolly is the size of a full-grown Labrador and weighs 37kg, quite a lot more than the 23kg initially estimated by SPCA.
"He's not a little foofoo dog," says Mike Nugent.
As he grew, he quickly learned how to jump the fence around the property, but never to escape.
"He'd just come around to the front door and wait for someone to open it," Mike says.
A DNA ancestry test revealed he had five parts - Staffy, Pitbull, Labrador retriever, Rottweiler, and American bulldog.
These days, he loves to chase rabbits in the parks and socialise with other dogs, particularly Milly, Robbie's parents' dog, who is half his size. Recently, on a walk through forest at Muriwai Beach, he helped find a friend's dog that had slipped its lead and run off. He tracked it down by following its scent deep into the bush.
Rolly now weighs 37kg and is a much-loved member of the Nugent family. Photo: Nick Munro / RNZ
The teddy bear he arrived with has been chewed beyond repair and now has one arm. His toy basket overflows with newer toys.
On 14 May, he will celebrate his third birthday, a random date based on his estimated age when he was found. Louise says he is adored by all their friends. He has his own TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Speaking from their yacht moored at Palma di Majorca, Caitlin and Robbie say they miss their dog hugely and Facetime him regularly. The last time they returned to New Zealand, they hid in a bedroom.
When Rolly found them, he went crazy with excitement. They know he is a big part of Louise and Mike's life. If they return to New Zealand permanently, they will share custody.
Louise says she never expected to love another dog, but Rolly has become her best friend.
"He is a rescue dog, but after Murphy's death, I think he rescued us."
* Venetia Sherson is a Waikato journalist.