Pet project: Billy, Evie and Shandy adjust to the Orange life

A lot has changed since October 2018, and not least, the capacity for us all to socialise in the flesh!

We spoke with Brittani Parsons, mum of Billy and Evie.

*Brittani's answers have been edited slightly for clarity and length.

What's changed in your household since this picture was taken?

We've moved to Orange! But our family is still in the Hawkesbury. It's much more relaxed here than the hustle and bustle out that way. The bushfires affected us over Christmas, when we had to travel back and forth. My husband came out to Orange first and I was living between the Hawkesbury and Orange with the kids for about two months, and we got stuck a few times going back and forth when the roads were closed due to the fires and we had to find a different way to get home. It's been crazy.

Are there toilet paper shortages in Orange?

Yes! I work in childcare so the numbers of children are very lot at the moment, with a lot staying home. Just like in the Hawkesbury, it's exactly the same for us here, we're just taking it day-by-day.

How old are Billy, Evie and Shandy now?

Billy is 4, Evie 2, and Shandy will be 9 in May. Shandy loves the new house, he's got a big, beautiful yard. But I heard the dog next door in Windsor misses him and looks in the yard to see if he's still there.

How is Shandy with the kids?

Shandy was a trained guide dog and he failed his last exam, that's how my husband ended up with him. He was very protective of the children, he can tolerate a lot from them. Even when I was pregnant he would sit at my feet and got very protective. If we go out to play he would just lay close and protect us. He would get climbed on, they would try to turn him into a horse. He's like the big brother of the kids. They do love to go out and give him bikkies, and what not, they do like to be a part of everything that he does.