FLOODED DOGS

David Margan

Our brothers and sisters over the ditch have had a rough time of late – the All-Blacks falling from their best, dissension in their ranks, earthquake, flood and finally, Cyclone Gabrielle.

When Auckland was inundated Dogs Queensland President, Ulla Greenwood, rang the President of Dogs New Zealand, David Harris, to see if there was anything we could do to help Kiwi breeders. Harris said that it was all okay and breeders in the Auckland region hadn’t been affected.

Gabrielle changed all that as the Hawkes Bay and Gisborne regions of the north island’s east coast were smashed. Cyclones are rare in the land of the long white cloud, perhaps once a year an ex tropical cyclone will wander past. In 1988, Cyclone Bola, again just passed by, but created some of the largest rainfall totals for a single storm in the history of New Zealand, with some locations receiving more than half of their annual rainfall totals from the storm.

Unfortunately for Dogs NZ Hawkes Bay and Gisborne were home to some of the nation’s best breeding establishments, Dogs New Zealand President, Brian Harris said this, “Some of the best not just in NZ but the world.”

At least eight have lost everything, including breeders perhaps known to many in Australia such as, Oscarbi Kennels – home of exceptional Champion Best in Show winning Samoyeds, Lusanne St Bernhards and Sandbrook Mastiffs. Another, is Dianne O’Neills of Chesterhope Kennels Hawkes Bay, internationally known for world class Pointers.

“14 February started like any normal day after the eye of Gabrielle had ravaged Hawke’s Bay overnight. Getting up to just a few puddles and no damage, little did I know that in 2 hours our lives would change forever !”

Dianne’s husband had gone off to get his morning coffee but he didn’t return, rapidly rising water made the local bridges suddenly impassable.

Dianne and some neighbours began to move farm livestock to higher ground, soon they were belly deep in fast rising brown water.

“It was happening so fast we all just acted on what needed to be done to save the animals and get trailers on and get the dogs safe.”

The highest ground was the small local primary school and so they packed up all their 60 dogs including those boarding into crates and trailers and made for the school where the group now numbering twelve had to smash a window to gain entry and call the alarm people to silence the racket.

In the sudden quiet they heard all the rivers breaking their banks. Despite the growing danger they returned to get the cats they had locked in their house, their road had now become a raging river.

“It took us twenty-five minutes to go the last twenty metres to the school, the water was up to our armpits, the cats were silent but petrified and I thought at any moment I was going to lose my footing, I didn’t think I was going to make it”.

As the waters continued to rise and the air was filled with the noise of helicopters, the sounds of emergency, of panic, they moved tables putting the dog cages atop.

Dianne was the last to be rescued from the school at 7.50 that evening clutching her five and three week old puppies, but the others had to stay, “Leaving the dogs behind was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but the police wouldn’t let me stay at the school. I was the last resident to leave Pakowhai and was told they had saved over 190 residents that day. “

As the helicopter flew in the gloom, she realised that everything had disappeared under water, her home, her kennels, her job and her life.

The next day a convoy of vehicles were able to get in and get all the dogs out safe and sound and get all our boarders back to their owners safely.

Karl Sandbrook of Sandbrook Kennels, breeder of NZ Champion mastiffs, was another who had what he described as, “surreal crazy stuff”; “We had a torrid time and swam out of our flooded home (as it became a death trap) at 5.30am in the morning. I almost lost all of the dogs (but saved all 4) but had to smash windows and swim them from car roofs, to trees, ultimately leaving them on top of a tractor cab roof once the flooding started to subside.

I have two champion mastiffs that both swam and hung in a treetop for 3 and a half hours on Valentine’s Day. My two little sons aged eight and twelve also held onto a pug each up the top of the small tree. Ultimately not sure if we saved the pugs or they saved my boys from hyperthermia! Either way we all made it.”

Below: Karl Sandbrook sons pictured with the two Pugs they helped save.

It was a similar tale for Helen and family from Oscarbi Samoyeds; “We have lost almost all our records. Our property was under 6m of water for 3 days. We were extremely lucky to get out with all our 10 Samoyeds and ourselves with the clothes on our backs.”

Brian Harris President of Dogs New Zealand said;

“Like all good dog people they save the dogs first.”

While that may have been the most important thing it was the only good thing.

In New Zealand they don’t have to worry about flood insurance they have a National Earthquake and War Commission that was started one hundred years ago and paid out $20 billion following the Christchurch earthquake for the rebuild – now somehow the money will also come for the flood rebuild but the only sign of the process so far is the dreaded fluttering yellow tape of destruction that encircles everything that is unsalvageable.

That included Dianne’s home and her kennels and her neighbours who shared this ordeal also lost everything.

“And my 82 year old parents were taken out of their bus in Awatoto in head high water with just their clothing they had on and have had their home and belongings all graded as contaminated and unsalvageable, the sense of loss is just beyond words.”

EMAIL: marellen@marellenshowribbons.com

ADDRESS: 109 Silverdale Rd Silverdale N.S.W. 2752

WEB: www.marellenshowribbons.com

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But Dianne and her business will rise from the waters such is her love for what she does and the community in which she lives; “We cannot begin to thank all the help from the people around us that have turned up to help with the clean-up, friends, clients, the dog world family and the amazing people who randomly turn up with food and well wishes.”

In fact people from all over the international dog world have sent moral support and donations and Dogs Queensland is giving a donation of $5000 and the profits from our upcoming Anzac day show.

Brian Harris has been chuffed by the number of well wishers and donors from all over the global dog world who have been in touch; “These are well known show people who love their dogs and anything we can do to help them in their hour of need would be great.”

You can help. Dogs New Zealand has established a special fund and administrative committee to help

Dogs NZ breeders in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. The following banking details for Dogs New Zealand have been supplied if any Dogs Queensland Member would like to make a donation.

Address: 7 Kilkerran Place, Porirua 5022 New Zealand

BSB: 03-0547 Account number: 0104575-00

Swift number: WPACNZ2W