Animals honoured with memorial at Waiouru Army Museum

Donor Nigel Allsopp, sculptor Susan Bahary, Kotuku Foundation's Merenia Donne and her dog Rica at the new Animal War Memorial in Waiouru. Photo/Sandy De Kock

Purple poppies are recognised as a tribute to animals that have served alongside humans in military service.

And the blooms were on show at Waiouru last week as a New Zealand War Animal Memorial was unveiled, with Whanganui's Merenia Donne and her medical assist dog Rica were there to lay a wreath.

Ms Donne founded the Kotuku Foundation: Assistance Animals Aotearoa (KFAAA) in 2006 and was named a member of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2018 New Year honours list for services to training disability assistance dogs.

The foundation works with the RSA to support military personnel living with conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder by providing canine companions.

Australian War Animal Organisation founder Nigel Allsopp had heard of the foundation's work and invited Ms Donne to place a wreath at the foot of the lates animal was memorial at the Waiouru Army Museum.

Mr Allsopp's organisation is establishing war animal monuments in as many places as possible, and it donated the bronze memorial at Waiouru, made by American sculptor Susan Bahary, a specialist in military animal memorials whose work is on show around the world.

"They had no malice and often worked tirelessly alongside their masters no matter what nation they served," Mr Allsopp said of the war animals.

"The bond was unbreakable, their sacrifice was great. We should honour these animals."
Ms Donne was delighted to be invited to the unveiling, and Rica was not the only four-legged guest at the ceremony — horses, donkeys, military working dogs and carrier pigeons were also there.

Her foundation was inspired by the memory of her German shepherd Nikki who probably saved her life in 1997 after a serious car accident.

Nikki was awarded a posthumous Canine Hero Award in 2014 and Ms Donne has continued to expand the organisation.

Dogs are now trained to support a wide range medical conditions including diabetes, anaphylaxis, narcolepsy as well as neurological and psychological conditions.