The man behind surfer dog Bosco, Dylan Bacher, and his “equally spirited” companion Treasure.
Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

Bosco the French bulldog, known for ripping it up on his surfboard, returned to the moana in Paihia this Waitangi Day, flying the He Whakaputanga flag before the annual waka celebrations.

Now five years old, Bosco the French bulldog was joined by younger companion Treasure, an 18-month-old French bulldog, who is also learning to ride the waves.

Owner Dylan Bacher said being part of the day was about showing up and supporting the kaupapa.

“Mainly for the youth, mainly just keeping it simple and actually being a part of everything,” he told RNZ. “Seeing the culture and supporting it – keeping that culture real.”

Bosco and Treasure paddled out, as crowds lined the shoreline and kaihoe prepared to launch, with treaty grounds officials telling RNZ about 35,000 people that descended on Waitangi on Friday.

Bacher said the atmosphere on the water was something special.

“Going through with Bosco was amazing, like it always is, and hearing everyone’s supportiveness,” he said.

“Watching the waka come out, that’s just something special to be a part of and actually see from out on the water.”

After coming ashore, the dogs were met with cheers from tamariki and whānau.

“It’s unbelievable how much love these two dogs get,” Bacher said. “The kids especially, we could hear them from the shoreline calling out to us.”

Surfer dogs Bosco and Treasure, and owner Dylan are famous on social media, with more than 930k likes and counting on TikTok.
Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

The whānau, known as the ‘Pirate Crew’ or ‘Bosco’s Pirate Life’ on social media, have more than 52,000 followers on TikTok and more than 93,000 likes. Some of their most popular videos of Bosco riding the waves have reached millions of views.

Online, some have jokingly referred to Bosco as ‘Ngāti Kuri’ – a playful nod to the Māori word for dog, and Far North iwi Ngāti Kurī.

“He’s in there supporting everything and little Treasure too,” Bacher said. “She’s learning by watching Bosco and just hopping on the board herself.”

Bacher said he pays close attention to the dogs’ behaviour and only takes them out on the surfboard when they are comfortable.

“You can’t make them do that,” he said. “Bosco just hops on the board himself and now Treasure does too.”

Dylan Bacher said he loves bringing joy to peoples faces – especially rangatahi.
Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ

He said the message behind their presence at Waitangi remained the same as in previous years.

“Keep it real, keep supporting each other,” he said. “Waitangi Day is a beautiful day, when everyone is supportive of each other.”

Bacher said coming together under values of aroha (love) and kotahitanga (unity) was especially important for rangatahi.

“The world’s a hard place at the moment and we’ve got to keep making it better for the youth,” he said. “We need to learn to be together, look after the world and respect what we’ve got.”

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