95-year-old feels lost without his old mate
The 95-year-old Kaikohe man whose constant companion was put down after an attack by a pack of dogs says he’s lost, and doesn’t know what to do with himself now his best mate has gone.
Jim Morgan and his fox terrier-cross Sandy were attacked by six large dogs while out for a Sunday morning walk on Harold Ave. Mr Morgan escaped with bruising, but Sandy’s shattered left hind leg could not be repaired. Amputation was considered but rejected as cruel.
The former serviceman, who spent part of World War II stationed at the Waipapakauri airfield, said Sandy had been only a year or two old when he adopted him from the pound at Okaihau in 2009.
“I’m lost without him. Sandy has been my cobber since my wife died in 2011. He was very intelligent — he knew what I was going to do before I did it,” he said last week.
As well as missing his mate, he was also struggling to fill his days. Poor eyesight meant he couldn’t read or watch television, and a heart complaint meant he couldn’t work in the garden.
“The only thing I was able to do was walk the dog three times a day. Now I’m stuck in the house all day, it’s quite miserable,” he said.
He was considering getting another dog, but wasn’t sure if he could handle a new pet at his age.
“Besides, I’d be scared to take him out for a walk. That was the fourth time Sandy and I had been attacked.”
Mr Morgan said he was grateful for the kindness he had been shown, but what he really wanted was for the owner of the dogs that attacked Sandy to be caught and prosecuted.
“One dog running around is bad enough, but six? They had no leads, no collars, nothing,”
He urged anyone who could identify the owner to call the Far North District Council on 0800 920 029.
“There couldn’t be many people around town with six dogs.”
Mr Morgan said the dogs, which were accompanied by a man on a quad bike, “took a beeline” for Sandy. The man shooed the dogs off then took off on his bike. That got rid of the dogs, which followed the bike, but the rider didn’t check to see if he and Sandy were okay, Mr Morgan said.
The council says it is continuing to investigate the attack. With no CCTV in Harold Ave it is checking whether any home security cameras in the area captured the dogs.