A new leash on life for Sandra and Peter

After living in Browns Bay for twenty years, the couple found themselves facing a familiar dilemma for animal lovers: could their beloved bull terrier-border collie cross join them in the next chapter of their lives at Arvida Aria Bay retirement community? Sandra, seasoned in accounting and office work, and Peter, a veteran land surveyor, may have plenty of experience wrangling numbers and land boundaries, but negotiating pet policies was new territory.

As Peter recalls, “the issue was the dog and I didn’t think the village took animals, so I actually rang the office and they said yes they do. Within three or four days we came down here and looked and decided this is where we wanted to be.” With location ticking all the right boxes and the prospect of a ground floor apartment perfect for Awhi’s paws, the Reeds were ready to leap - so long as Awhi could do the same.

Awhi was a rescue dog and has been part of the family for three years. She’s a full-bodied bundle of affection, known for her love of big chew bones and her tendency to get up close and personal once trust is established. Her name, fittingly changed to reflect her new life, means ‘to embrace’ in Māori - something she does with gusto.