Kona is a very, very sweet girl. We were down yesterday and spent some time with her. She cries, she is in a lot of pain, but is just ever so gentle, and let us check her over. We did not move her to get pictures of the other side of her, as she is just in too much pain. She moves around on her own though and we are supplying the pound with pain medication for her, and will cover her emergency vet bills incurred so far.

 

 

She URGENTLY needs a foster home, as she is laying on the cold cement at the pound. She has blankets, but the coldness still comes through. It is damp, and stressful there, and she needs a good home to recoup in.

 

Preferably someone home during the day that will be able to take care of her, give her the meds, and change her bandages. From what we are told, she is house trained, and good with other dogs. She has such a good and easy heart, she deserves her chance to be valued and shown what love is all about. She deserves respect, and to be a part of a real family.

 

GSRBC will cover all medical expenses, and will supply food for Kona. All you need to give her, is a safe place to heal and loads and loads of love.

Kona has been with me now for 3 days.  What a delightful girl she is!.  No malingerer is she.  She is hopping around on her three good legs like you wouldn't believe.  The problem is to slow  her down!  She loves people and other dogs - a leaner.  We are  feeling our way; I still sense a bit of anxiety on her part .  She obviously hasn't been leash trained, but we are working on that.  Stopping at corners is another safety issue I am working on.  Yes, she wants to go for walks regularly and I have been taking her for 10 to 15 minutes at a time to give her a chance to build up muscle in her good hind leg.  She is definitely house trained - a very clean girl. Her 'come' and 'sit' commands  get an immediate response .  I shall continue with some gentle training  as she seems up to it.  She hates her cone and the sling I tried to use to support her backside.  The love of her new life is raw food - she is inhaling it.

 

Yesterday her bandage got wet so she went to the vet for a bandage change.  It turned out that this was a fortunate happening.  The wound is in quite a mess and they had to sedate her to treat it.  There is a possibility she might lose her foot.  Her antibiotics were increased and she is to go in every two days for dressing changes.  I could change her dressings if it was healing properly, but they really want to keep an eye on it.  While she was there her leg was x-rayed and there is a broken bone near her ankle.  The vet also did an x-ray of her chest to make sure there was no internal bleeding - fortunately all looked sound there.  GSRBC had wanted her to have the two x-rays to see what was happening as they were not done right after the accident.

 

The poor girl is in amazing spirits considering all she is going through.  She actually wants to play out in my backyard.  Even on three legs, she faster getting that ball than my large GSD.  As I said before, the problem is getting her to slow down!!

~Anne

 

Kona had her 1st vet check tonight and all is looking good.  Her next visit will be on the 21st to take out  her stitches.  

She had a really bad day on Sunday - she cried non stop.  I think everything caught up with her - The abandonment, new environment and recent loss of her leg. She has settled well since then. 

 I told Dr. Power he had a sense of humor when he told me to keep her quiet.  This girl doesn't know what the word means.  She is taking toys, tossing them into the air and catching them.  It will be interesting when she can get some decent exercise to see if she is calmer.   She is just so happy to be a part of things.  A saving grace is that she sleeps through the night so I get a chance to recharge!

As soon as she is able, we will start some light obedience!

September 21st 2007

Kona has had her stitches out and has healed remarkably well.  Not surprisingly, she has adjusted amazingly well! Watching her, you would not know that she had just recently lost her leg. She gets around like she has always been this way. 

Kona is a happy girl. She is biddable, with a dry sense of humor, and always seems to be scoffing in her own little way.  She continues to amaze us all with her carefree attitude, and loving nature. 

Kona is now ready for a new home. She is looking forward to that bright future! If you are interested in this special girl, please contact us for an application.

GSDRescue@shaw.ca 

 

Kona is a very sweet girl. Somewhere around 4 years old.

 

She got left outside and made her way out of the family's yard (unfenced). On Sunday, she was hit by a car and was hurt very badly.

Animal control got her to a vet and the vet did the best he could. Her leg is broken, all the skin from her toes to her hocks is peeled off, there was not a lot of skin left to be able to stitch her closed. The stitches run 8 inches long down her leg. She is wrapped up well, and is currently at animal control. From what we can gather, she was dragged for a while by the car.

 

Her loving family, thinks this is a blessing in disguise, as they have been trying to adopt a child and have been running into problems because they own a dog. Yes, she actually said it was a blessing that Kona was hit by a car!!  

The family stated: "She is good with dogs and cows, but will chase cats. She is currently not spayed, has not had any shots, is good with kids, and doesn't mind being tied up in the yard. Oh ya, and she was fine being loose in the back of the pick up truck after she fell out once and learned her lesson. Oh, and she knows sit and stay."

Certainly, Kona can do better than this...

 

Needless to say, her previous owners are not interested in paying the vet bill and bringing this baby girl home. They have relinquished all rights to her. 

Kona has no one but us, and we won't let her down.

I am supposed to keep her quiet - I'm still trying to figure out how!  SHE CAME OUT OF THE VETS RUNNING.  They came to the car to help me put her in and I had the neighbor across the street on standby to help me get her out.  Forget it - She jumped right in and jumped right out at home, not giving us any chance to help her.  

She was very unsettled all evening and into early morning. But I don't feel she was in pain as she is wearing a patch and still getting another pain reliever.  I think she still feels displaced and she needs lots of reassurance.  

She finally conked out at 2 am and let me sleep  (on my sofa) till 9.  Thank heavens.  She ate a huge breakfast, took over Monty's bed (which I had brought down so he could sleep near me as well) and tried to get me to play ball.  

 

 Kona really is such a sweet girl - she is so anxious to please.

 

 

 

Kona continues to fascinate me.  We just got back from a 45 minute walk and she coped really well.  This is just 3 weeks after surgery!  

Her recovery has been amazing - as the vet said "she's a sturdy girl".  As we thought, walking more and more every day is burning off her excess energy and she becomes more and more settled around the house and yard.  She is not shadowing me anymore - is content to be away from me - although I do hear a "thunk" as she leaves her bed to check on my whereabouts - then she goes and settles again.  She is not displaying anymore separation anxiety when she is left alone. I think she was just overly stressed with all that has been going on, and understandably so.

 

Kona is such a playful dog - she loves toys and other dogs.  She bugs my GSD into playing at least a couple times a day.  There are toys all over and she plays with them on her own.  Car rides are a joy to her (even to go to the vet) - no car sickness, and she settles very well in the vehicle.

 

We are working on leash work and she is coming along well.  As I said before, I suspect she had never been on a leash before.  She is stopping at corners now.  Because of her fast gait, I am finding she walks best on a long retractable leash.  The short leash confines her too much and as a result she does pull on it.  

She is very responsive to the come and sit commands.  She knows down and wait as well.  Actually, I feel she is very bright and is learning quickly - she has picked up all the house routines such as bedtime.

 

Someone is going to be very lucky to have her - she is always cheerful and good natured.  She was great with my grandchildren and any other children we have met on our walks.

October 20th 2007 ~ ADOPTED!

Our special girl found herself an amazing home, and now lives in North Vancouver! Once Kona's leg was removed, she was as happy as a dog could possibly be, the only thing she lacked was a home of her own. And what an amazing home it is! Kona now lives with another very handsome GSD, and together they are tearing up a storm and giving her new mom lots to laugh and smile about. When we get it right, amazing things happen! Enjoy the good life Kona, you have certainly earned it!

Update:

January 3rd 2008

It is with heavy hearts that we mark the passing of this sweet girl. 

Kona had been having a very hard time the last few days, and tests showed she had pancreatic cancer that had now spread into her other organs. It was very aggressive, having only showed up and was taking over so quickly.
Adaire had Kona on fluids and was hoping that something would break where she could maintain Kona in a way that she would still enjoy life and not be in pain.

We cried so much last night on the phone, and talked about Kona and where she had come from and all she had been through. As we talked, Kona laid at Adaire's feet with her ball. Happy and content to be with the one that loved her.

We were all hoping against hope that Kona once more, would defy the odds.

Sadly, it was not to be.

Kona passed this morning at 3:15am. She died at home, in Adaire's arms, it was peaceful and full of love.

We have never met a dog with so much will to live. So brave to meet everything head on and overcome the obstacles. So forgiving of human being's short comings.  Kona brought many people so much love. We am so proud of her, and are so glad that she had this time together with her real family before she left this world. She was so cherished and she really and truly had so much value. There are holes in many hearts tonight, and this world is a much darker place without her in it.

Run like the wind Kona! We love you!

I know she would be saying "Wow, what a ride!"