Whanganui assist dogs featured in new book

With greyhound Lola (left) and Borzoi Nina are Sandy de Kock and Merenia Donne of Kotuku Foundation and First Vets' Nicola King. Photo / Paul Brooks

'Friends inDEED: Assist Dogs and their People' is a book by Sue Allison, featuring a number of local dogs from Kotuku Foundation Assistance Animals Aotearoa (KFAAA), the organisation started in 2006 by Merenia Donne.

"This is the third book we've had on our dogs," says Merenia, with a touch of pride.

"It came about through the Christchurch trainer for our veteran's dog. This author had approached her — I'm not sure how she knew because we're very careful about confidentiality — and said she was writing a book. She got in contact with us that way and we had a really good conversation. She is an award-winning author and I can see why.

"She was travelling around the country using her own resources, stopping in and doing interviews with teams — assistance dogs and their people."

Kotuku Foundation volunteer Sandy de Kock made her place available for the interview.

"From there she went up to Taranaki to see Esther, our little girl with the diabetes response dog," says Merenia.

Esther and her English cocker spaniel Molly warrant a number of pages in the book. "She was 8 when we first worked with her, which was in 2010. That's testament to the relationships we maintain as a responsibility and as a personal, caring whanau approach we have with our teams. We will be with them forever."

Ambassador for the Kotuku Foundation is photographer Craig Bullock.

"He has taken beautiful, professional shots, two of which are in the book," says Merenia.

"He took the ones of Dion and Delta."

Dion was injured by sniper fire while serving in northern Afghanistan and nearly died from his wounds.

A combination of complex regional pain syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder led to his sanity-saving relationship with assistance dog Delta, a white German shepherd, trained from a puppy with assistance from the Kotuku Foundation. Dion and his Canine Comrade's story are Chapter 3 in the book.

Also in the book is greyhound Lola, who used to race under the monicker Kinetic Flyer, until she had an accident off the track.

"Lola has so many good qualities," says Merenia.

Nina, Merenia's Borzoi also features, and Sue Allison did a piece on German shepherds Nikki and Rica, Merenia's first two dogs, both of which have since died. Merenia says nothing fazes Nina, she's bomb proof.

The author owns a former rescue dog, a chocolate border collie called Teddy. Her book is filled with stories of remarkable deeds by assistance dogs and the bond between dog and "owner", a bond based on complete trust and, in some cases, reliance.

'Friends inDEED: Assist Dogs and their People' was published late last year and is available through New Holland publishers. A reprint is being done as the first print run sold out.

For a photo Merenia chose a spot out the back of First Vets in acknowledgement of the business's ongoing contribution to Kotuku Foundation.

"We provide all the veterinary care for the dogs locally, that's general health checks and anything else that's required in a day-to-day and ongoing basis," says Dr Nicola King of First Vets. First Vets also provides facilities and space for puppy training. "It is important we align ourselves with charities we have affiliations with and are good for the community. It's a bit of a no-brainer for us."