Car crash leaves Cooper at a loss

Cooper the poodle is looking for a new home after a car crash left his owner in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital and unable to look after him.

The 7-year-old pooch was in the back of a car, driven by a 65-year-old Waihi woman on August 12 when the car ran off the road, collided with a tree and rolled.

The car went into a shelter belt of trees and ended up in a culvert on the side of the road. The woman sustained injuries to her head and chest and was trapped underneath the dashboard before she was cut out with hydraulic cutting equipment.

She is in a stable condition in Waikato Hospital.

Cooper was unharmed in the crash and was found by passing motorist and vet nurse Mel Bason.

At the time Moe Stevens, chief of the Waihi Volunteer Fire Brigade, said it appeared the dog had either fallen or jumped out an open window, which led to the driver running off the road.

Miss Bason, from Beach Vets in Waihi Beach, said it was about 20 minutes before she managed to get control of Cooper because he was "pretty spooked" from the crash.

"I brought him [back to the clinic] in a panic. I didn't know what to do but we kept him here because we didn't know what was happening [with the driver]."

Miss Bason said she had been in touch with the woman's brother since the crash and the woman was now unable to care for Cooper. The family had asked for the dog to be rehomed.

"He's a big softy, a real sweetheart," Miss Bason said.

"He's quite playful. He's also quite shy but once he gets to know you and decides if you're okay then he's quite playful."

After the crash Cooper spent two weeks at the Waihi Beach vet clinic before he was put in foster care with an Auckland family.

"We were lucky enough to have some clients in Auckland who said they would take him on ... but now they can no longer do so," she said.

Cooper was still in Auckland but was due to return to the Western Bay soon.

If anyone is interested or would like more information about Cooper, phone Beach Vets 07 863-7387.