~ Tracey-Lee and Poppy ~

Eleven years ago, Tracey-Lee rescued Poppy, a beautiful Staffy x pup. Since then, they have formed an incredible bond and have changed each other’s lives for the better. 

Right after the devastating Christchurch earthquakes in 2011, Tracey heard of a litter of 3-month-old puppies who had been abandoned by the Waimakariri River. She decided to arrange a visit to the Christchurch SPCA to meet the pups. As soon as Tracey walked into the cage, she was met with lots of wiggly tails and lots of licks. However, one pup, named Tink, stayed behind. She was more timid than her siblings, and Tracey knew this was the pup for her. Right then and there, she adopted her and named her Poppy. 

Following the trauma from the Christchurch earthquakes, Tracey struggled with her mental health. It was a very dark time for her. However, having Poppy gave Tracey a purpose, someone to care for and brought so much happiness into each day. It has been a long journey since then, but they have helped each other to recover from these traumas. They have both provided one another with unconditional love and endless joy.

Wanting to find a way to thank Poppy for all she has done, Tracey made it her goal to find them a home that had a big backyard. Wanting to give Poppy her best life possible, Tracey became a volunteer ambulance driver for St John New Zealand. After a lot of hard work, she is now a full-time ambulance officer, has given up smoking and has recently moved into a new home where Poppy can run around to her heart’s content. 

Being an ambulance driver can be immensely stressful. Tracey has saved many people and helped many more in their time of need. It’s definitely not an easy job. One memorable call-out was to the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch. The scenes were heartbreaking. It was a difficult time following the scenes she witnessed, but Poppy was right there, reminding her of the good that still existed in the world. 

Both Tracey and Poppy enjoy going on road trips together in their Australian muscle car. Poppy has a bit of arthritis in her back now. It’s hard for her human to see this, but she is still full of beans and continues to provide Tracey with endless joy each and every day. 

The impact that both Tracey and Poppy have had on one another has been life-changing. Together, they know there’s nothing that they can’t get through. Every day is made better simply because they have each other.