Inured Shelter Dog Wins The Heart Of A Volunteer Who Just Recently Lost Her Own Dog

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For the last five years, Kencho Gurung has volunteered at the humane society in Kailua-Kona.  Last November, she lost her beloved 15-year-old husky and spending time at the shelter was one of the only things that could bring her comfort.

One day while she was volunteering, Gurung met a 7-year-old dog named Maka (which means “eyes” in Hawaiian). Maka was at the shelter because her former owner had abused her after she had given birth to a litter of puppies. The injury left her with a permanently twisted left paw.

There was an ongoing criminal investigation into the dog’s former owner, and Maka was quarantined away from the other dogs. Maka had very little human company aside from the visits from Gurung.

“I would sit with her for as long as I could,” Gurung said. “She was starved for affection and would cry when I had to say goodbye.”

Weeks passed and  Gurung continued to visit Maka at the shelter making her day a bit more bright. Gurung couldn’t get the dog out of her mind.

“I couldn’t sleep at night because I was thinking about her, wondering how she was doing,” Gurung said.

Gurung came to volunteer one day and saw that Maka was in a new kennel at the shelter! A kennel alongside all of the other adoptable dogs. Gurung took her out on a few field trips to spend some more time with her, and when she decided to adopt her, she realized another family had just finished signing paperwork to take her home.

“I was devastated,” Gurung said. “It took me two weeks to work up the courage to go back, assuming she had been adopted. But the humane society ended up not giving her to the family because she has special needs, and the family had young kids.”

Gurung knew she had to jump at the chance to adopt her and made it official on December 19. Before heading home, the two posed for an adoption picture together and Maka got to pick out a brand new toy: a fuzzy fox.

Maka made it clear pretty fast that she was ecstatic to have a home again.

“She came home, jumped straight into my bed and hasn’t stopped smiling since,” Gurung said. “She brings me so much joy. I feel as though we were meant to be together.”

Gurung continues healing from the loss of her late husky but is thankful that Maka came into her life.

“She sleeps with me every night, cuddled up right next to my body,” Gurung said. “And she snores loudly!”

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