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Date Posted: 06:44:43 12/13/03 Sat
Author: Eileen
Subject: In memory of Koa

I have been reading the Boerboel Boards for over a year now and would like to post in memory of my beloved Koa. In December 2002 I made up my mind that it was imperative to add a Boerboel to our family. After extensive research, I decided that I wanted a Madala puppy from Baden in South Africa. Attie assisted me in picking out the perfect pup and we proceeded to make arrangements for his arrival. He arrived in January during the worst snowstorm of the year. Everyone that saw him immediately fell in love, but nobody could have loved him as much as me.

We started our training classes in the spring of 2003, working our way up through the ranks to the CD level. He was an awesome performer and did whatever was asked of him. He was to take his Canine Therapy Dog Test on Thursday night, which we had been working on for several months. My plan was to have him SABT appraised in Winchester, VA in May, then go to the HBSA event in Oklahoma. I wanted to have his Penn Hip done in advance so the results would be with me. I set up the appointment with a vet in the area that had the facilities for the tests and expected to have fabulous results.

The day started like all the others. We got up at 3:45 am and made our way to the field close to our house. Koa loved to chase the fox that inhabited the surrounding woods. He would romp and play then get a whiff of scent and take off like a bullet. I think most of all he just liked being free to run and act like a clown. He always returned to touch my hand as if to say, I love you and I am very happy. We returned home about 5am and I started getting ready for work. My husband had agreed to drop him at the vet’s office for the Penn Hip. Of course Koa was curious why I had left out an important step that morning, where was the food and water? I kissed everybody good-bye and gave Koa a big hug. I knew he would be groggy when I got home. At around 10:30 am my world came crashing down. My husband called and told me that Koa had died during the last part of the x-ray procedure. The vet tried for 15 minutes to revive him to no avail. At first I just thought that someone was playing a cruel hoax but soon came to realize that my beloved dog Koa would never be coming home.

I requested an autopsy be done due to the fact that Koa was by all appearances a perfectly healthy dog. Even his trainer had remarked the night prior at how beautiful and strong his movement was. Needless to say, I am still in somewhat of a state of shock. Sometimes we take for granted that doctors know everything and can do no wrong. I am thankful for the time I had with Koa and hope that his story will remind us that life is very fragile and we should enjoy each day to its fullest.

Thank you for listening.

Eileen Weatherbee

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