Spike finds his forever home

A second chance at life; new hoses, pot plants and a yellow porcupine to chew.

Spike’s story made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was abandoned by his owners in View Street, Lennoxton, almost two months ago.

He was left to fend for himself, with only a piece of plastic to protect him from the cold.

After Newcastle SPCA had taken Spike into its care and an article had been published in the Newcastle Advertiser, many began expressing interest in adopting him.

Pastor Richard and Di Kohly prayed for some time, asking God where they would get a dog from. Little did they know their prayers would be answered sooner than expected.

“We came here with two dogs and over the last couple of years they passed away from old age. We needed some time to recover from losing them. You don’t want to compare an old dog with the new one. It was just time to get another dog,” explained Pastor Kohly.

The Kohlys decided they did not want a puppy, citing time and a constant need for attention as contributing factors.

Pastor Kohly also read about Spike’s harrowing tale and recalled telling his wife: “There’s our dog.”

He contacted the SPCA immediately. With the odds stacked against them, the family nevertheless went to see Spike.

The moment he laid eyes on him, Pastor Kohly simply said: “That’s my dog; I’ll take him.”

He looked at the other dogs that were up for adoption, but maintained one has an instinct when it comes to animals.

“I just knew he was the boy. He’s just so sweet,” he said.

The SPCA agreed and set the adoption process in motion.

“I don’t know what made them decide that,” said Pastor Kohly. “They had to follow protocol; they walked around and looked at the house.”

Spike has since settled in, chewing on anything, from garden hose fittings to pot plants like they were a delicacy.

“It’s just boredom; he needs a mate.”

Mrs Kohly said they are currently in the process of looking for a companion for Spike. They have put the word out there, and hope to find the perfect match for him.

Spike goes for walks three times a week, and has already become protective of his territory.

“He’d obviously been trained because he readily puts his head into the leash. He curls his tail up and barks at other dogs and people who walk past the house. He knows this is his home,” said Pastor Kohly.

When they were away recently, the Kohlys had their domestic helper work an extra day so Spike wouldn’t be alone all day. A house sitter was on hand to take care of the dashing dog the rest of the time.

Although Spike’s story is generally associated with negativity, the family decided to look beyond what happened and just love him.

“Those two weeks will be forgotten. The only thing that was a bit distressing for me was that he came home with a pink collar. Soon we’ll get a blue one,” said Mrs Kohly.

Their friends refer to their new pet as ‘Spike from the paper’.

“Everyone is pleased for us. One of the big issues was the fact that we have a lot of children here because we run a church, but he is fantastic with children,” explained Mrs Kohly.

Pastor Kohly often has his feet licked, referring to Spike as ‘daddy’s boy’.

“He’s very ma en pa vas. We’re just happy to have him.”

The Kohlys advice to those looking to adopt a pet is profound.

“Each person has their own connection with animals. You can’t have a one-size-fits-all advice. People are different and their needs are different. People are mostly selfish and it’s all about what suits them. I think one of the things the SPCA does well is to ask, do you fit the dog and are you good for the dog?”

With new toys and all the love he could ever dream of, it appears Spike’s story truly had the happiest of endings.

“He’s happy and that is all that counts,” concluded the Kohlys.