TAKING PETS UNDER HER WING

The last thing animal lover Margaret “Skippy” Napier wanted was pet geese Honkers and Bonkers taking flight just minutes after arriving at the emergency animal sanctuary.

The first Nelson local to answer the call for help when HUHA founder Carolyn requested spare dog kennels to house evacuated pets at the showgrounds, Margaret (49) found herself wrangling a variety of animals brought into the makeshift compound by anxious owners fleeing the raging wildfire.

When she first met the frightened pet geese there was only an open air pen available for them and that posed a problem. Holding on for dear life, Margaret wrapped her arms firmly around the birds’ soft and feathery torsos.

“They were stressed and I was just telling them, ‘Shhh, you’re going to be all right.’ They’re so beautiful, I felt like a big kid in a lolly shop.”

She quickly clipped their wings with a pair of kitchen snippers she happened to have in her pocket, ensuring they would remain in the safety of the pen.

Since then the geese have enjoyed hot days swimming in their own pool.

“I plonked them in there for a cool-off,” Margaret tells the Weekly.

The former Australian, who moved to Nelson just over 20 years ago and shows Golden Retrievers in competitions, says she felt compelled to stay to help out in any way she could.

“I’ve pretty much lived here. I just love all animals.”