People, Pets and Predicaments. It was tough having to leave my mate behind when I was choppered out .At least he was rescued by the pet rescue people the next day. So hard not getting him back home before he succumbed to an internal growth. The day of the flood one friend carried his dog on his shoulders for some 1 kilometre to some precarious position of safety. Robert was trying to get to the top of a ladder to get on a roof so he could get in a helicopter.He was carrying his foxy and fell off the ladder with the poerful downdraft from the chopper. He dropped the dog and thought he was lost. Later a jetboat turned up at the rescue point and it was truly amazing that they had picked up the dog from the flood water. A neighbour of Robert lost a number of sheep and were unsure what happened to their ducks and a friendly pukeko. They had two ducks and now they have returned with another friend. The pukeko is back along with a rooster .So sad they are moving out. There are many stories of lost pets and sheep and horses.Very tough for many people.