IT might be a little bit holy, but Ollie the Labrador has been keeping warm and dry in his new kennel this winter.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Last weekend he was presented with a brand new home that matches his owners’ home perfectly.
Ollie’s owners, Michael O’Toole and Heidi Smith, live at the former St Brendan’s Catholic Church in Panmure and Warrnambool couple Paul Thomas and Marie Ryan delivered the kennel to the pampered pooch.
Mr Thomas built the kennel from the original old boards and roofing of the church.
“We were sitting around the fire one night and I said I would build Ollie a kennel,” Mr Thomas said.
“It is fully insulated and has the iron and weatherboards off the church.”
Mr Thomas said Ollie was a devoted pet which was sadly dying of cancer. It took him three weeks to build the kennel, which has two storeys plus a cross on the roof.
There is a large downstairs area for Ollie and an upstairs lounge for cats Roxy and Oscar.
“We decided there was room in the attic for the cats so I lined all of that too,” Mr Thomas said.
Ollie comfortably shares his new kennel with his dog-pal Macca.
“It was very funny driving down the highway to Panmure to deliver Ollie’s kennel as it caused a lot of bewildered looks,” Ms Ryan said.