Cartooned van theft no joke
A van covered in cartoon dogs isn’t worth much – although to New Plymouth pet walker Demelza Law it’s invaluable.
But on Sunday night the white Mitsubishi L300 was stolen from outside her home in Pukenui St, Strandon, and she’s desperate to get it back.
‘‘I thought, what the hell... Who takes a van that’s got dogs all over it?’’
Law, who bought the dogwalking business Packed Out Dog Adventures four months ago, arrived home on Monday morning to find the van, an integral part of her business, gone.
She thought at first it was a prank. ‘‘I went around and asked ‘has anyone seen my van?’’’
It is one of the most distinctive vehicles in New Plymouth thanks to artist Andrew Steel’s cartoon dogs.
Law, who is also a hairdresser, said they had been spray painted on and wouldn’t come off easily.
The van, in which she transports the dogs, is not valuable, but to Law it’s essential.
‘‘It’s an old thing, worth maybe like $3000.’’
Law walks dogs on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. She picks them up, walks them for around three hours and takes them home again. She has had to ask other dog walkers to help out while she’s van-less.
Law says without dog walking she’ll only make enough money from her hair dressing to pay her rent. Despite that, she was more worried about her canine friends.
‘‘It’s just horrible. It’s not just me, it’s the dogs because they don’t get walked, and their owners. ‘‘They’re a pack of friends.’’ Police confirmed they received a report of a van being stolen from Pukenui St overnight between Sunday and Monday and inquiries were ongoing.
Law said she was just starting to get the business to a steady point.
‘‘I love dogs – it’s the dream really.’’
In the long run she hoped to walk pets fulltime, but the van going missing had set her back.
It was locked and she had the keys on her, but she didn’t have insurance.
‘‘It was on the to-do list – I’ve learnt my lesson.’’