The dog by the track

On a breezy Saturday morning in Waitangi, Maia took her small brown dog, Piko, for a walk beside the coastal track. Piko wore a blue collar with a tag showing Maia’s phone number. When a loud motorbike rattled past, Piko startled and pulled free of his lead. He darted through a gap in the fence and disappeared among the trees. Maia called Piko’s name, but the wind carried her voice away. She asked a nearby café worker to ring the number on Piko’s tag in case anyone found him. Then Maia and her cousin, Arjun, searched the track. They looked for paw prints in the soft mud and listened for barking. A few minutes later, volunteer ranger Hana heard a faint whine near an old picnic shelter. She did not chase Piko. Instead, she crouched down, spoke softly and placed a small piece of food on the ground. Piko crept out from behind a bench. Hana checked his tag and called Maia. Maia hurried to the shelter. Piko wagged his tail as she clipped on his lead. Everyone was relieved. Before leaving, Maia thanked Hana and the café worker. She decided to check Piko’s collar and lead before every walk. The search had worked because people stayed calm, shared useful information and helped one another.

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