They say there's only a few days between a good and bad haircut.

But it's the beginning of the molt Ronaldo, so you won't be the only rooster short of feathers.

Ronaldo is the ‘celeb' rogue rooster who tormented the Avenues around Grace Rd and 14th Ave for a month with his pre-dawn song-fests. The crowing drove people spare.

'We are over it,” they were saying, 'we want Ronaldo gone”. They didn't want him dead, but it went precariously close to that this week.

Because Ronaldo, who had outsmarted residents and all attempts to capture him, was attacked in the undergrowth by a dog. 'There was this commotion over my wall,” says Avenues resident Helen. 'Ronaldo was squawking and screaming for help.”

Ronaldo's rooster-hood was seriously compromised – the trademark saddle feathers and long sickle main feather that draped his rump were torn out in the attack.

Fortunate

But Ronaldo was fortunate. The neighbourhood he chose to tyrannise with his infernal noise had embraced him. And so Ronaldo, with his mangled and bald bird butt, was taken to the Free as a Bird Rescue centre at Mamaku near Rotorua.

There were stitches, antibiotics, counselling and TLC, says Helen. 'It's wonderful to know there were people out there in the suburbs who were prepared to put their self-interest aside for two or three weeks while they sought the best outcome for Ronaldo,” says Kelly Phelps, who runs the non-profit group. Even famous chooks like Ronaldo.

It could so easily have ended badly for Ronaldo – another time and another place and he could have ended up in the stock pot.

No-one knows

'It wasn't Ronaldo's fault he ended up in the Avenues.” He just loudly materialised one day.

No-one knows how or why. But he obviously enjoyed the gentility, until he was needlessly set upon.

It's where the canny cockerel developed a cult-like following, with all his exploits featuring on SunLive. A chook with a public profile – who would have thought? Helen wasn't surprised. She, and others, had begrudging respect for this bird. 'He was intensely annoying, but everyone warmed to him... Just so much sass, so much attitude, a wonderful personality.”

Eight-year-old Harper McGregor found Ronaldo 'super-annoying”, his crowing waking her every morning about 5am. And sometimes as early as 4.42am. That's uncivilised even for a rooster. 'But I was very sad to hear Ronaldo had been hurt.”

The sleep-deprived neighbourhood still left out specially-bought bird mix, frozen peas, carrots and corn, and bread.

Soar well Ronaldo!

Ronaldo felt the love, then tested it with his noise nuisance. Locals also bought a cage and plotted his capture so he could be safely re-homed, relocated.

They resented his presence but they didn't want him harmed.

Today the neighbourhood is respectably quiet – not a squawk, not a cock-a-doodle-doo. Some will be delighted, others saddened.

'I just hope Ronaldo finds a happy farm to live on,” says Harper.

Ronaldo's on a high protein diet to get back his best look, to recover some dignity. 'I'd like to thank Helen and the Avenues residents for their love and commitment towards Ronaldo. Getting him to me quickly saved him life,” says Kelly.

Ronaldo has joined a chorus of three other roosters at Free as a Bird for an early morning crow-formance. He's in a good place. 'He will rejoin a flock in no time and start a new life outside the Avenues on a farm. We feel honoured to take care of a celebrity like Ronaldo.”

Despite his scruffy appearance, despite the naked butt, Ronaldo's already had three offers of a new rural home. Soar well Ronaldo.