Six of the best

By Miranda Luby
The Mount Burnett resident has always loved animals and manages to keep the peace between all the occupants in her household.
Emily and her husband Josh bought their first dog in 2004. A loyal Australian terrier cross Scottish terrier, Jess had a special spot in the couple’s hearts.
Just three years later, the Studds were in Warburton and Emily spotted a box full of Newfoundland cross puppies. At just 16 weeks old, she fell in love with them and couldn’t leave without one.
“I just turned to Josh and begged him to get me one,” she said.
“Newfoundland’s puppies usually cost about $1500 but these were just $80.”
They named the black shaggy puppy Zoe and once they brought her home, she and Jess were inseparable.
Sadly, the two canine friends had less than two years together before Jess was hit and killed by a car.
“She went missing for two days and then I got a call from a neighbour saying she had seen something on the side of the road that I had better look at,” Emily said.
“Josh brought Jess home wrapped in newspaper. Zoe hasn’t been quite the same since.”
The two then had their daughter, Savannah.
“I know people say you shouldn’t have young kids around dogs but Newfoundlands are different,” Emily said.
“They are known as baby sitters and the guardians of children.’”
Savannah and Zoe love each other’s company and Savannah can even get away with sitting on the well-behaved dog.
The latest additions to the household are two cats named Cash and Max- a Bengal and an Abyssinian.
Josh first bought the cats for hunting mice on their five-acre property, but at the time he didn’t know that Bengals turn feral if they’re let outside.
“Max really likes practical animals like cows, so when it turned out that the cats couldn’t do anything he was quite frustrated,” Emily said.
Emily was nervous when she first brought the felines home- the cats had never even seen a dog before- but they have all turned into fast friends.
“Zoe just loves Max and Cash,” she said.
“She just wants to lick them and play with them.”
Now, the household of six works well, but they take it in turns to cause some mischief.
“We live next door to my in-laws and whenever we go over there, Zoe manages to get into my mother-in-law’s fish pond,” Emily said.
“Who knows how many fish she’s eaten now.”