He's roamed the streets of McLeod Bay and Reotahi for up to four years, living rough and evading numerous attempts to catch him, but finally "Hairy Maclary" has a permanent home.
The small black dog, with an uncanny resemblance to the fictional character, had become a bit of a celebrity, and picked up the name, on the Whangarei Heads People facebook page.
There were complaints about him being vicious, sneaking under houses and into rubbish bags. Some were concerned about his danger on the road and to kiwi and other birdlife, while others just wanted him to be given a chance.
Comments on the page suggest he had been roaming for up to four years, after his owners allegedly left him behind when they moved.
Parua Bay resident Penny King saw the posts and wanted to help.
"All I could see was people moaning about the problem but no one was offering a solution."
She decided to set up a feeding station on May 13, hoping "eventually the routine would mean we could catch him".
She rang the Whangarei Heads Citizens Association to get permission to put the feeding station at the McLeod Bay Community Hall.
By a stroke of luck, the association was due to publish the Whangarei Heads Newsletter and Ms King was able to put a story in about her plans.
"I fed him every day for eight days and then I moved the feeding station up to a private property on Reotahi Rd."
Whangarei Heads resident Adam Anderson first encountered the dog about a year ago and tried, but failed, to catch him.
He saw Ms King's story and rang to tell her what he knew.
"That afternoon I was out on the lawn and he went running up a driveway. Bailey and I hopped in the car and followed him."
Hairy Maclary started cutting through properties, so Mr Anderson parked his car to block him off and send him towards an area of long grass, hoping to slow him down.
The dog found the grass easier than anticipated and kept running but eventually was trapped along a fence line.
Seven-year-old Bailey grabbed the box they carry in their car for picking up injured birds, but it was too small.
Luckily, the property owner lent them a dog box.
Mr Anderson went home and rang Ms King back.
"You won't believe this but I've got your dog."
In between times, Lisa Dyer had rung Ms King to say she would take him if they caught him.
She took "Hairy Maclary" in last Monday.
"He is so absolutely adorable, he's settled in so well. Already he seems so loyal."
Mrs Dyer said he had a new name and a new life.
"Because he has been known for so long as Hairy Maclary, I didn't want to call him that but I thought Mac was an abbreviation and much nicer.
"We're going to say the day we got him was his new birthday."
Mac will be kept inside or on a lead outside until he has been trained.
She said despite his ordeal, the vet told her he is the perfect weight.
The community have donated food and money.
"He's been fixed, vaccinated, de-fleaed, wormed and had eight teeth removed."
Ms King said the vet guessed he was a griffon cross, about 6 years old.
Department of Conservation senior biodiversity ranger Nigel Miller said it was possible he had already killed kiwi and they were happy he had been caught.
He said keeping kiwi safe from dogs was a massive responsibility for all dog owners.