One Year Anniversary of Ke-ola...Life

January 19, 2015 marks a year from the day my husband and I drove to the Carson Animal Shelter and brought home a dog so sick, injured and emaciated we weren't sure he'd make it through the night. Ke-ola's story is one of triumph over insurmountable odds. It's a story of trust, sleepless nights and a community of strangers coming together to save a shelter dog or as we think of them, our forgotten angels. On the one year anniversary of Ke-ola (Ke-ola means life in Hawaiian) I share Ke-ola's journey so far and thank those that helped make it possible.

Ke-ola brought me to tears when I first saw his shelter video on Facebook. He was bloody, had chunks of flesh missing, emaciated, and could barely stand...yet when Denise Carta called to him with a loving voice his tail wagged and he found a way to stand and take a couple of steps to receive her loving caresses through the iron bars. This sweet boy had been through unimaginable pain, neglect, abuse, yet his heart was still open to love. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about how such a loving boy would never be adopted because his medical bills would be too much for most of us to afford (including myself). His case looked hopeless to me yet Denise and her followers kept networking him undaunted by the seemingly impossible task of saving his life. Great job by all, may I add!

Ke-ola at the Carson Animal Shelter. Video by Denise Carta.

Sky & River

Ke-ola loves his papa.

I brought the video and posts to my families attention and asked them if I could find a rescue to cover medical costs would they be willing to bring him into our family as a foster until he was healthy and could be adopted. They saw the tears running down my face and agreed. (I need to give my husband, Roland, sons, Kadante and Roland, and our pups Sky and River a HUGE and heartfelt thank you. While I have been the primary person in charge of Ke-ola's care, it's truly a family affair, it  was too big a job for one person. They also made some pretty big sacrifices to accommodate Ke-ola. I love you family! You are the best!)

Kadante & Ke-ola

I didn't know anything about fostering or rescuing as we adopted our other dogs straight from the shelter. I did have a handful of contacts on Facebook that were involved in rescue and I put out a group message. Then the most unexpected thing happened, Donna Mason, a friend I only knew through Fb, responded that a rescue she works with would be willing to save him. I was shocked that any rescue would be willing to rescue a dog that was clearly in desperate need of so much medical attention. But in this last year, I've learned that I.C.A.R.E. Dog Rescue is all about saving as many lives as they can. They don't shy away from fostering dogs with medical problems or dogs in need of serious care. They said Yes when everyone else had said NO. (Ke-ola's plea was posted over 2,000 times in multiple social media outlets and it was I.C.A.R.E. that saved his life.)

                                                        Ke-ola, struggling to breath.

Roland & Ke-ola

Ke-ola was quarantined for 6 months, he was in and out of the emergency veterinary clinics, was hospitalized several times, had severe allergies and mange, had torn ears and bite marks on his head and legs, had numerous daily medications and medical procedures, and didn't trust anyone enough to relax when they were in "his den" (our family room). It took some time but the sleepless nights of caring for him and days spent bonding with him paid off...he learned to trust...and that's where the real work began.

Ke-ola is no different that the rest of us...he is a work in progress. He has some very deep emotional scares that manifest as behavior problems and my family and I are working to help him get past these blocks. It is a slow process as we are learning as we go but are very hopeful that with professional help, love, time and commitment, he can become the well-balanced dog he derives to be. He has challenged us to become better people and in return has given us his devotion. Ke-ola wasn't born this way. Humans are responsible for his pain, it's our responsibility to help him heal. As I've written before, "Ke-ola is not an easy dog to care for but he is easy to love." Ke-ola is teaching us many valuable lessons. He demands that we bring the best in ourselves, that we grow past our comfort zones, and most importantly that we live through an example of Hope, Charity and Love.  

A special THANK YOU to all those that reached out to help a dog that had no hope...Denise Carta, Donna Mason, Corrie Lenon Bravo, Gabby Alvarado, Elvira Torres, Michelle Rangel, Paola Valencia, Jasmine Yassi Rassekh, Donna Hirtriter, Cathy Larimer, Pet Hospital in Orange, Crossroads Animal Emergency, All States K9 Detection and Dog Training and all those that sent prayers, well wishes and positive thoughts...thank you for keeping hope alive! You are all heroes in our book! 

Wishing you and your pack Peace today and everyday. 


You can find us on Facebook:
Page https://www.facebook.com/iloveshelterdogs
Our page hopes to encourage more people to adopt not shop by sharing stories of successful shelter/rescue dog adoptions & useful info for a healthy dog.
Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1405355683042930/
This group is an open group for rescues, fosters, shelter staff, volunteers to post dogs in need of adoption, transport or rescue. Our group’s admin is not affiliated with any posts or posters nor do we have any further information about a post. We are merely offing another place online to help get dogs seen, safe and in their forever homes. 
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/109405533286226395235


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