When I was discharged from the hospital in February 2021, I entered my home care to continue my COVID recovery. I was still pretty sick, suffering from shortness of breath, and full of anxiety because of the lingering uncertainty. When I walked into the house there to greet me was Kona. Kona was a female pomchi pooch. Soaking wet she may have weighed all 8 lbs. Kona was about 10 years old. She had her early life as a puppy marred by trauma after she was attacked and carried off by a coyote in San Diego.
You see, She was once my daughter's dog. It happened one night when my daughter had just returned home after soccer practice. She had taken Kona with her to watch the practice . As they parked the car and started walking to her home, with Kona bouncing after her closely at her heels, a coyote leaped out of some bushes and grabbed Kona in its jaws and ran off. My daughter gave frantic chase but the coyote was faster. She searched and searched. She called us weeping so hard we could not understand what she was saying.
Shortly after baby Kona showed up at the home crawling on her front legs. She was bloodied, bruised, with a punctured lung. But she was alive and somehow was able to escape the coyote's jaw. After a rush to a late night veterinarian clinic that charged her $800, my daughter made the decision to take her home to either die or heal. She healed!
Kona was a fighter. I attached a video of her for your review. After you watch it, you will see what I mean. When my daughter moved she asked us to take her because she could not take care of her anymore. We did and over time she became a member of the family. I don’t know how many puppies can survive a coyote attack, but Kona did. When I came home from the hospital, Kona was the first to welcome me. She sensed that I was sick and from Day 1 never left my side. She would sleep on my bed licking my hands and face almost as if to say, be strong we will get through this together. And, we did.
Yesterday I was the one who let her down. I had her with me when I went to see my grandsons. As we were leaving I stopped to talk to one of my grandsons. In a split second Kona bolted out of the yard and made a beeline to a larger dog that was being walked on a side walk across the street. I called for her and went after her, only to see a COKE truck with trailer out of the corner of my eye barreling down the street. I was frantic. Almost like it was slow motion, the rear wheel of the truck ran over my Kona. The driver did not stop. As a knelt by her, she struggled to lift her head and looked me in the eye. I said Kona I love you. She took one last breath and died in my hands.
It was almost like in death she was still trying to me all would be OK. Every year over 6 million dogs and cats are hit by cars. But when it happens to you, it’s not a just a statistic, it a human and personal tragedy. I can’t tell you how many times I have replayed this scene over and over. For a split second I hoped Kona’s luck would hold and she would emerge across the street alive and barking at a big dog.
Since her coyote incident she had a real bad attitude about big dogs. But it was not to be, I lost my Kona, my furry COVID companion who only gave me her unconditional love and support. I know I can’t turn back time and have to move on. But it is really hard, the past 24 hours have been hell. As time moves on I will gradually accept the reality of her death and cherish even more our memories together.
That is what life is all about. We live, and we die.The secret is the live each day the fullest and take time to grieve, as I am now doing. To grieve is a big part of being human. Our grief enables us to both love and feel joy. I probably never really embraced the connection until I was at death’s door with COVID. In the hospital I did think of my furry Kona and wondered if I would see her again.
She gave me hope and helped to nurse me. I still have a ways to go, but now I am without my Kona. Having her in my life has made me a better person. That, no one can take away.