Kaia was barely 7 months old when she was diagnosed with a critical stage-6 heart murmur, and doctors quickly found that it was due to a large hole between two of her major heart arteries. Without costly surgery their feeling was that she would not live to see her second birthday. But thanks to the unbelievable outpouring of support from friends and fans of Georgetown Animal Outreach, and the amazing skills of the doctors and staff of Texas A&M Veterinary Hospital, Kaia was given a second chance. She underwent two critical heart procedures last November; one involving open-heart surgery to help reduce the size of the hole in her heart, and a second, less invasive one to install a remarkable device that effectively sealed the breach. The procedures together were a resounding success, and now the amazing Kaia (from Hopi for “elder sister”) will see many more birthdays, and summers and sunsets!
Kaia is in our home now, and her affectionate nickname is “Kaia: Destroyer of Worlds!” because of her seemingly inexhaustible puppy energy. She runs and plays (and runs!) with her new brat pack – Hector, Bear and Cookie Monster – and Kaia’s tutoring under them has been hectic. She quickly mastered Ball-Hawking 101 from Uncle Bear. She’s learned the seemingly endless noisy mouth-wrestling game from her soulmate Hector, who absolutely idolizes her. And she has cultivated the gentle art of full on bed-snuggling from Aunt Cookie.
All in all, Kaia is one of the most amazing dogs, of many, that we have had in our home in the past 25 years. Her spirit is unbelievable and absolutely nothing gets her down. She has the energy of five dogs and, easily, the confidence of ten. Kaia spent her first night with us in a crate before claiming the bedroom as her own, and she has claimed it as such ever since. Her intelligence is uncanny and she pretty much breezed through basic obedience classes as though she were taking a tired old refresher course. We are confident that once Kaia is completely healthy, she will one day pass her Canine Good Citizenship test and devote herself as a hospital therapy dog. She is very tolerant and considerate of all people and dogs that she meets, and she currently has 12(!) feline brothers and sisters whom she herds with affection and grace. She would ultimately like to step up to herding deer on our property, but this may be a challenge left unfulfilled. It is said that there are only few really great dogs that come into our lives, and I’m sure that we have all claimed that very special “one” at one time or other. But Kaia is more than that for us, in that her story will forever serve as a reflection of our own capacity for humanity and caring.
Animal rescue is an amazingly rewarding volunteer opportunity for us, but it is also fraught with constant heartache and sorrow. At times it seems that we wind up taking two steps backward for every step we take forward. But Kaia’s story, in itself, is the perfect example of why we should never let the disappointments outweigh the amazing successes that we have enjoyed. And our family will forever be indebted to Georgetown Animal Outreach and the overwhelming generosity of the donors and doctors who gave our “Kaia: Destroyer of Worlds!” a second chance at life and happiness.
