The day after the Fourth of July, I was walking my puppy name Kona on the beautiful walking trails surrounding the Hokuala Golf Course here in Lihue. We were enjoying a leisurely stroll around the lagoon when someone let off
The day after the Fourth of July, I was walking my puppy name Kona on the beautiful walking trails surrounding the Hokuala Golf Course here in Lihue.
We were enjoying a leisurely stroll around the lagoon when someone let off a firecracker. My puppy Kona bolted and I lost my grip on his leash. He runs so fast, and he was scared, so he ran in a panic for cover, into a thicket of bamboo.
By the time I had climbed the hill he had run off to, he was out of sight. I called his name and spent the next two hours walking the trails looking for him. I was getting more worried as time passed and my fur baby was no where to be found.
I stopped a worker on the golf course at the resort, to ask for help, and as I was describing Kona, I burst into tears. This worker was so kind — his name was Shannon — and he took me over to the maintenance shed where he called the head of security.
Back in my car, where I had been listening to KONG radio, I thought to call the radio station and ask Ron Wiley to put out the word that a Shih Tzu puppy had been startled by a firecracker and had ran off from his owner.
Ron interrupted his broadcast to report a lost dog, and within minutes my tears turned to smiles. Kona had run off to the road at the back that borders the airport, and airport security had found him, coaxed him into their car, and seeing that he had a dog license tag, they called the Kauai Humane Society to report a lost pet.
These kind men drove all the way to the shelter so Kona could be safe. On their way, they were listening to Ron Wiley’s morning radio show and heard the description: Small puppy, Shih Tzu, with a lime green collar and a purple braided leash.
Soon I got the phone call I was waiting for: They had my dog, even sent me a text with his photo. So I drove down to the shelter and was joyfully reunited with Kona.
One of the great blessings of living on this wonderful island of Kauai is all the wonderful people who also live here and how we take care of each other.
I had many more calls that morning from people who were wishing me well and even saying prayers that I would find my lost dog. The head of security at the Marriott hotel even called to make sure Kona was home. I thanked him profusely, and told him that his employee Shannon had gotten the ball rolling on this story having a happy ending.
Mahalo nui to those two wonderful airport security men who found Kona lost and whimpering; Mahalo nui to the folks at the Kauai Humane Society who kept Kona safe until I got there, and mahalo nui loa to Ron Wiley at KONG radio for putting out the alert on his radio show.
This story illustrates that we truly are one ohana on this island when we all pull together, and it is a blessing to live here and call Kauai home.
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Mary Rose Gallagher is a resident of Lihue.
