Caution: A photo at the bottom of this story shows the damage Ronaldo suffered and may be distressing to some people.

He's lost all his bum feathers but he's lost nothing of his attitude.

Yesterday Ronaldo, the rogue rooster from down the Avenues, came perilously close to an ignominious end when he was mauled by a dog.

But then this morning at about 5 o'clock, two hours before sunrise, the sassy cockerel, was back in full throat and thumbing his beak at the dog which could have easily ended it all for him.

In fact, there is a chorus of crowing, because Ronaldo is now recuperating with other roosters at the Free as a Bird Rescue sanctuary at Mamaku, west of Rotorua.

'It upsets me even telling you about it,” says Avenues resident Helen, who named Ronaldo and loved and loathed him in equal quantities.

'None of us wanted this to end badly for Ronaldo.” After all he's probably the most famous, or infamous, chook in the Bay of Plenty. Read more here.

He certainly has the highest profile, even if he lost some of his stateliness in the dog attack.

His crowning glory – the ornamental saddle feathers and long sickle main feather that Ronaldo proudly wore over his rooster rump were ripped out.

His is a very sad, bald, bird butt. But he's alive, incarcerated, the prognosis is good, and in time will be relocated, rehomed.

But it could have been very different, because there were heart palpitations around the intersection of Grace Road and 14^th Avenue where Ronaldo had taken up residence and was infuriating and exasperating everyone with his early morning crowing.

For the best part of a month Ronaldo resisted captured – he was a canny cockerel. And people learned to love and admire him for it.

'Yesterday just before 8am, I could hear Ronaldo doing his happy ‘bawk, bawk, bawk' noise on the other side of my wall,” says Helen.

'The suddenly, there was a commotion with Ronaldo squawking and screaming for help.”

Moments later the dog owner had Ronaldo dangling by a wing, and was handing him over to a neighbour who had been confused for Ronaldo's owner, and therefore a party to Ronaldo's early morning sleep depriving shenanigans.

That simply wasn't right - this proud bird had no master.

'Ronaldo was traumatised – as you can see in the picture, his tail was badly hurt.”

Helen cancelled the rest of her Sunday and drove Ronaldo to the Free as a Bird Rescue organisation.

'He had more than one puncture wound, he needed stitches, antibiotics, counselling and T.L.C. And he's definitely in the right place,” says Helen.

Ronaldo's brush with fate triggered an outpouring on the Free as a Bird Rescue Facebook page.

'Ronaldo came unexpectedly, and noisily, into our life,” says Denise. '….and while we didn't want him to stay long term we didn't want to see him come to harm. It was very distressing to see him after he was attacked and I am so grateful he has found good care

He got love from Jennee Schweiger, 12,000kms away. 'I'd take him if you were close to me in the USA. Hope he gets a new, safe, loving dog-less home.”

Perhaps Ronaldo had help from a higher plane. 'Ronaldo is blessed to have you looking out for him. Here is evidence of prayers answered,” says Russell. 'Praise the Lord.”

But some of that divine assistance can be attributed to Helen who bought special food for Ronaldo, who talked kindly to him, who welcomed him over her wall, who bought a cage for his eventual capture and relocation and who sought professional advice on how to corral a reluctant chook. She loathed but learned to love.

'It's such a lovely story. He had so much sass, such a wonderful personality. He loved to strut his stuff, and even though it was annoying to have the early wake up calls, just about everyone had warmed to him. Just about everyone. And he had grown such a profile.”

This morning, it was very quiet in the 'hood”. Not a cock-a-doodle-doo to be heard.

'A bit sad,” muses Helen.

Ronaldo was attacked by a dog in the Avenues on Sunday morning.