Our Perfect Companion – Koa’s Happy Tail
April 6th, 2024
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager
Cari couldn’t fathom why someone would dump a puppy so precious. She had pulled their van over to the side of the road after her son spotted something small, dark, and moving. They found an abandoned German Shepherd in a bad state, too young and too little to protect himself. She wouldn’t dwell on the reasons why; instead, their loss was her family’s gain. Koa would become the fourth passenger in the family’s van alongside Cari, his new human big brother, and a big sister, fellow pup Jazmin.
Taking the adorable hitchhiker with them could not have been a better decision for Cari and her son. Their bond was immediate and lasting: “He is our very best friend. He is our shadow and our perfect companion.”
Lately, they had parked their van in a fenced-in yard where Koa and Jazi could run free while Cari and her son relaxed. They had the space for Koa to continue his service dog training, which he had shown great aptitude for. Most importantly, they could save on housing costs as she navigated her family through a difficult financial period.
Koa could get a little overzealous zooming around the yard with so much freedom and space. One afternoon he collided with the fence. It was immediately obvious he was injured but Cari didn’t know how or how badly until he began to pull away. She was horrified by his wound – his hind hock had been caught and lacerated by a broken fence link. As abruptly as his zoomies had ended, Koa’s future as a service dog was now in doubt.
Cari knew she would rescue him just as she had before, but the timing was almost cruel. The same day Koa hurt himself, Cari unexpectedly lost her job. Thankefully she had job prospects lined up, and a neighbor graciously donated their time and welding skills to inspect and repair the fence to prevent future accidents. She hoped that optimism and kindness would stay with her while she figured out how she would afford Koa’s laceration repair surgery.
Just as her neighbor’s kindness would protect Koa from future harm, the kindness of our FurEver Friends gave him another chance at zooming through the yard with Jazi and training to be Cari’s service dog. By the time Cari applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant, she had already secured a line of credit and donations that would cover some of Koa’s post-op medication. With just that little bit left, an Urgent Care grant would make sure they could proceed with Koa’s surgery. Because of you, Cari and Koa got the help they needed.
He wouldn’t have picked the cone of shame for himself (what pup would?), but with a little patience, Koa recovered beautifully from his surgery. Now with his stitches removed and the fence repaired, Cari could finally relax with her family, but not before extending her gratitude to RedRover:
“He has been the greatest blessing in our lives. He got his stitches removed last Saturday and is almost as good as new, thanks to you. We love him unconditionally and are so glad our prayers were answered and we were beyond blessed when we needed it the most. We are forever grateful.”
Forever grateful…for the FurEver Friends! Because we can always count on your recurring support, we can always be there when pets and families need us most. Thank you for being a Friend and making Happy Tails like Cari and Koa’s possible!
