Focus: A woman has died after being run over by her own vehicle in Onehunga, Auckland. Video / Visual Media
The miniature poodles of a woman believed to have been run over and killed by her own car have found a new a home.
The poodles were left homeless after Marie Ann Pearman, 77, tragically died on Alfred St in Onehunga on Monday.
Police said initial inquiries indicatedthe woman had been run over by her own car, with video from the site showing a car having rolled into a coastal estuary.
Pearman's two poodles - Jacques, aged 11, and Nifty, 7 - were with her at the time.
A keen dog lover, she is understood to have walked the pair daily in nearby Waikaraka Park and to have proudly displayed ribbons and certificates she won in dog agility competitions on the walls of her Onehunga home.
Fellow dog agility competitor Matilda van Rijnberk helped get Pearman's dogs out of the pound following the accident and said the friendly canines were all over her with wagging tails when she picked them up.
But when van Rijnberk visited Pearman's home to collect their toys and belongings, they "were not happy", she said.
"They didn't understand, they were sitting in dog crates in my car at their house and wondering, 'Where's my mum'," van Rijnberk said.
The Herald wrote a story yesterday about the pair needing a new home, but it's understood they are now off to live with a relative of their deceased owner.
Van Rijnberk said Jacques was in excellent shape.
"When you see him you think he is 6 or 7 years old."
Jacques was a sweet-natured dog and would fit in well in most homes, she said.
He was now retired from agility competitions but had competed at the highest level for years, completing 165 clear rounds.
