Pauline and Bernie

“I was brought up on a farm. I’ve never been without animals; I’ve had every animal under the sun. I just love them.

Chaos – he’s a Border Collie/Jack Russell cross. Halo; she was our rottie – we just picked up her ashes today and we’re going to scatter them somewhere here. We are getting another one tomorrow. And we just had Alan’s mum’s dog put down, so we did have three dogs. Ziggy the cat.  And this is Bernie. 

I’ve had budgies before. But I’ve never ever had a bird like this. 

He goes everywhere. Been to Wainui with us, comes down to Stewart Island with us. As long as I’m there he’s happy. He’s free to go where he wants, but he just stays by me. He hardly leaves me.  When I go out the room he gets separation anxiety!

 He just hangs out. Even when I’m cleaning, he’s hanging from my sleeve when I’m going like this he’s swinging backwards and forwards! He goes in the shower, comes in the bath. He just loves it. He gets in the corner and he runs from side to side, flapping and squawking and then he rubs up against the shampoo bottles. 

I work from home. I do the paperwork from my husband’s building business. It’s not the type of bird you can get, go to work and leave in the cage, and come home and expect him to be your mate.  That’s not fair on the bird.

I work at the SPCA op shop and kids come in and get a selfie with Bernie and donate a dollar to the RSPCA.

Every day there is something funny that he does, that just cracks you up. He’s just such a character. His little quirks and looks and what he comes out with. I just love him to bits. 

Once you get one… it’s like rotties, once you get one, you’ll never go back.”

-Pauline and Bernie