Ria Vandervis might be the star in her household, but it’s her pooch Maeby who’s the biggest princess on the set of Shortland Street!
“She comes to work every day with either my husband Chris or me,” explains Ria, 35.
“She doesn’t have a lot of alone time and she doesn’t like going outside in the rain or getting wet. She loves the beach, but she hates getting in the water.”
When Maeby, a cross Jack Russell/mini schnauzer/fox terrier, is styled in a diamond collar for our photo shoot, Ria admits it suits her personality. The soap star tells, “She is absolutely a little fur baby. We haven’t had children yet, so she’s definitely the apple of our eye.”
Growing up, Ria never had pets because of her sisters’ allergies, but after five years with Maeby, she couldn’t imagine life without her.
“I adore her unconditional love and how when I get home from work if she has been with Chris all day and I haven’t seen her, the reception I get … It just melts my heart,” enthuses Ria.
“She’ll jump up and do flips in the air – she’s like a little circus dog, she’s so excited. You don’t get that from anyone else.”
