5 Oct 25 - Resident stories
Pets of Summerset
As the sun sets over Summerset Cranbourne North, a flash of fur and excitement bursts through Raie Pullen’s doggy door. It’s Suzie, Raie’s 16-year-old dog - racing around the backyard with the energy of a much younger pooch. After a quick circuit, she storms back inside, zipping from room to room before collapsing in a happy heap, tail thumping, eyes hopeful. She's waiting for her treat, though chicken is firmly off the menu.” She doesn’t like it at all,” says Raie. Chicken, and visiting the vet, are about the only two things Suzie doesn’t like, though curiously, she quite likes the vet once she’s there.
A beautiful ball of white fluff, Suzie is a Japanese Spitz cross, adopted when she was just 8 months old by Raie from the Burwood RSPCA. Raie, who has owned dogs all her life, says Suzie is something special. “The first time we met her, she was leaping up and down in a muddy puddle,” Raie recalls. “I asked the lass if I could take her for a walk. My husband and I sat on a bench, and Suzie - muddy paws and all - jumped right onto my lap. That was it. I immediately told the shelter, ‘She’s ours. ’”
Suzie has become a much-loved member of her tight-knit community, with fellow residents making a fuss over her on her daily walks around the village. She will wait patiently when Raie stops for a chat, if she gets some attention too. There’s nothing she likes more than people willing to give her a pat, “especially the rubbish man.” Says Raie.
The pair have lived in the Cranbourne North village for about a year and have settled into an easy routine. Suzie is up bright and early - 7 a.m. sharp – waking Raie by perching herself squarely on her tummy. After breakfast and a quick water check, it’s time for a mid-morning stroll. “She absolutely loves the meet-and-greets,” Raie says. “All the residents love her dearly.”
Once home, Suzie induges in her favourite activity: napping. On warmer days, the cool concrete becomes her personal spa. Meals, more naps, and a bit of mischief later, she rounds out the day with her signature sunset zoomies. And if Raie is still awake at 11 p.m.? Suzie will come fetch her - bedtime is non-negotiable, and Susie needs her beauty sleep before starting all over the next day.
Raie says their move to the village has been life-changing for the pair. “I am thoroughly enjoying my life here with Suzie and our move here has changed us both, we are so happy living here.”
This is an article from the Volume Two of our Summerset Scene magazine