Sue Kirk and Stewart Maher, Rollo’s owners, dropped almost $38,000 to make their home safe for the dog. It’s a lot of money, but Rollo was just too good at getting into everything. Evidently, he’s smart enough to figure out how to get into the refrigerator and open a yogurt container before eating its contents, but he still ate an entire jar of mincemeat — glass included. Shudder to think what would happens if you met Rollo with a pack Rolos in your pocket.
“We’ve had a completely new kitchen extension, and everything was specially designed to stop Rollo getting his paws on the food,” Kirk tells The Daily Mail. Since he knew how to open the cupboards, they installed puppy-proof handles. The fridge’s handles are higher up now, so the dog can’t reach. The couple also has to keep pretty much everything under lockdown: Rollo ate through Tupperware, opened a briefcase, and figured out how to open the garbage can. Locks and chains on the doors help keep the lab contained, and the greenhouse has a childproof gate. Apparently the hungry dog loves tomatoes. Apples are another favorite, and the couple just surrendered the apple tree to him. He’s even used a trampoline to grab a few fruits from higher branches.
Part of the reason Kirk and Maher spent so much money is because Rollo wasn’t just downing cauliflower and Christmas cakes. He once got into a box of rat poison. Plus, the 9-year-old dog has a few issues with his hip and knee, so it wasn’t good for him to constantly go after food on countertops.
“He causes absolute mayhem, but we love him to pieces,” says Kirk.
