When Helen and Gavin Cook started rescuing dogs many years ago, they never envisaged that it would lead to starring in a national TV series and writing a book, but that’s exactly where they find themselves. After making their screen debut in TVNZ’s The Dog House NZ in February last year, the owners of Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary at Pohuehue have now published Good Dogs, which combines touching stories from the show with practical advice on everything about owning a dog and keeping it healthy and happy. Helen admits the TV show experience and then putting together Good Dogs has put them a little out of their comfort zone.
“It’s very weird, I normally just want to be in the background,” she says. “But the TV people were amazing. And when it came to the book, I had a ghost writer to help me, as I’m working here seven days a week.
“It took quite a few months and was a big learning curve.” Initially, the book was going to be a glossy coffee table affair, featuring some of The Dog House rescue stars that had been matched to new owners by the Cooks and found happy, forever homes. However, with Helen and Gavin’s extensive experience with literally thousands of dogs and puppies, it made sense to expand it into a more practical guide to responsible dog ownership.
“I’m not a dog trainer, I’m not a vet, this is just my opinion,” Helen stresses. “A lot of it is common sense.” Unfortunately, when it comes to abandoned and stray dogs, there’s not a lot.