Kaia is a beautiful, sensitive, kind and sweet 3 year old Golden Retriever with a soul made of pure love. She is also an award-winning therapy dog who recently suffered a near-death experience with aspiration pneumonia brought on by what we believe to be megaesophagus. (She is still in the recovery process and we are awaiting results from ongoing testing)

Kaia has had a few big bumps in the short road of her life. She was born into a loving home, and was the runt of 9 puppies. She wound up staying with her human mom who passed away very unexpectedly when Kaia was only 6 month old. Kaia came to live with us as a frightened, traumatized puppy and was able to flourish in our care. She joined a pack of three older Golden brothers and instantly became the princess of our pack.

Shortly after turning one year old she was certified as a Pet Therapy dog. In the last two years she has made hundreds of visits to hospitals, schools, courthouses, military bases, special education classrooms, assisted living facilities, post acute care facilities, hospice patients, and even detention facilities to visit with deputies and incarcerated people. Kaia has devoted her life to sharing love, joy, and compassion with others. She brings hope to the less fortunate who suffer in our community and reminds them that they will never be forgotten.

At two and a half years old Kaia began to suffer from petit mal seizures and was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. She is able to function normally on twice daily medication, however the medication she takes has long-term effects on her liver, which must be accessed with blood work every 6 months.

On Thursday afternoon of the week of 9/7/23, Kaia began vomiting and was taken to her regular vet for observation the next morning. She showed some slight improvement and was sent home with antibiotics, nausea medication, and a cough suppressant. By late Saturday evening her symptoms worsened greatly, and she was taken to the veterinarian ER very early Sunday morning.

Kaia spent nearly 2 days in the critical care unit at the pet hospital. A myriad of tests were performed including x-rays, ultra sounds, blood work, breathing treatments, etc. We are still awaiting the final results of some of the tests, but thankfully her aspiration pneumonia has cleared up enough that she was able to come home last night. She is currently on 5 different medications, and receiving breathing treatments via nebulization and coupage to aid in the clearing of her lungs.

We are still a long way from getting her back to being healthy, and our biggest challenge now is being able to get her nutrition. She is able to eat, and has a strong appetite, but her esophagus is still severely dilated and uncooperative. If she is unable go hold her food down we will have to resort to other feeding options, which would more than likely mean a feeding tube. We are hoping for the best.

As you can imagine, the unexpected cost of something like this happening is mind-blowing. Even with limited insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket expenses have been astronomical. Her bills for the last 4 days have gone over the $10k mark, and we realize that her ongoing care for this condition will be very substantial. Please give some thought to making a donation to Kaia's ongoing health fund. Even if you aren't able to make a donation won't you please send a little prayer her way and help spread the word about this very special dog.

With deepest appreciation,

Kaia's family