Puppy Love! Jodie's Animal Attraction

The actress’ boys can see Mum on two channels

- Cloe Willetts

When vivacious television star Jodie Rimmer slipped and smashed her knee open on rocks while walking down Mount Albert in Auckland recently, it was a loyal furry friend that stopped to help.

Abby, a rescue dog Jodie adopted from the pound four years ago, raced to the Celebrity Treasure Island star’s side to comfort her. Then the pooch used her athletic grey hound-huntaway cross frame to help an injured Jodie hobble back to the car.

“When I called Abby over, she just stood there while I held on to her and breathed through the pain,” recalls the mum of sons Xavier, nine, and Theo, seven. “She knew something was up even though I wasn’t making much noise. Dogs are so intuitive and intelligent, and have a lot of healing energy.”

Her heart-warming canine story isn’t the only one dog lover Jodie will be telling. The former Shortland Street star is the narrator for an adorable new TVNZ 1 series, Dog Squad: Puppy School, a spin-off of the popular Dog Squad.