Loss of special dog hits hard

A dog meant as a dying Tokoroa father’s parting gift to his family has gone missing.

Teokotai Nooroa was diagnosed with terminal lung and liver cancer last year and, knowing he would soon leave his five young daughters and wife alone, he decided to get the family a dog.

‘‘It was to take their minds off my situation and to watch over them when I’m gone,’’ he said.

Bodmin, the golden bullmastiff-labrador cross, quickly became a loved member of the family but that too has now ended due to him disappearing on New Year’s Day.

Nooroa said it’s impacted significantly on his family who are still holding onto hope he will return.

‘‘Bodmin was about seven months old when I got him and the girls were really happy. They were out playing with him and training him every day which is what I wanted so it would take their minds off me,’’ he said.

‘‘The first thing they would do when they got home was go and see Bodmin which was good because I was mostly away for treatments for months at a time. They had really bonded with him but now they have nothing.’’

He said he believes Bodmin has been stolen.

‘‘The girls just want the dog back because if there is no man in the house when I’m gone it will be scary for them,’’ he said.