Summer 2010 - Aloha Animal Hospital

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

2 Vagamundo/Take A Virtual Visit To AAHA 3 AAHA Garners Recognition/Meet Kristin & Erika 4

SUMMER 2010

4224 WAIALAE AVE HONOLULU, HAWAII 96816 PHONE: 808/734-2242

Dr. Chang To Host KHON2’s “Love Your Pet”

A N E W S L E T T E R O F A L O H A A N I M A L H O S P I TA L A S S O C I AT E S

www.alohaanimal.com

BEARA: VAGABOND NO MORE They say that animals can instinctively sense approaching danger. That’s why cattle run uphill before a tsunami, rats race from burning buildings and elephants trumpet hours before an earthquake. So it was in Santa Ynez, California. It was 1998, and the skies were dark. El Nino was about to unleash its rage upon the area when the ranchers spotted her – a young, lemon-colored husky. She was galloping freely from barn to barn with her long tongue dangling out. The scrawny dog had a mission. Shelter. With the coming storm, most of the nearby ranches were already deserted. People were rushing to stock up on food, ice and batteries. Most likely, the homeless dog had already visited a number of farms without success. So, the ranchers had no trouble corralling her into a barn with the horses. She hunkered down in the hay as the ranchers locked the door and whisked off to their families. The storm ripped across the land with winds screaming at close to 70 miles per hour. The barn rattled beneath the pounding. Electricity was knocked out for four days. But when the ranchers finally returned, they found the mixed-husky inside the barn. She raced outside and licked their hands with her matted tail wagging. She almost seemed to be smiling. “Let’s call her

Vagamundo,” one of them said. The name means vagabond of the world. The dog may have been a wanderer, but she put down roots at the ranch. Her feet could be heard trotting up behind the ranch hands or the people who boarded their horses there. She became a popular attraction at the ranch and everyone found her irresistible. Everyone, including Bonnie McMullen. Bonnie received a warm welcome from Vagamundo when she pulled into the ranch and climbed out of her black Ford Explorer. Bonnie was there to visit her horse when the yellow husky approached her. At the time, Bonnie’s Airedale Terrier was very sick and the prognosis was not good. Somehow, in the way Vagamundo sat at Bonnie’s feet and stared at her, the dog provided comfort. Vagamundo’s eyes seemed almost human, as if she could read Bonnie’s sadness. “I immediately connected with this dog,” Bonnie recalls. Soon, Bonnie was making additional trips to the ranch. Not just to see her horse, but

to pet the husky and feed her snacks. She always felt better after seeing Vagamundo. This was why Bonnie – and everyone else at the ranch – was so upset when Vagamundo suddenly disappeared. “Vagamundo is roaming again,” the ranch foreman sighed, hoping it was only temporary. He asked the owner of the ranch to phone the animal shelter to see if she was there. She wasn’t. The ranchers set out to the neighboring ranches to search for her. That’s when they learned a surprising fact. A worker from another ranch told them Vagamundo hadn’t always been a drifter. She once had a home. Sadly, her owner had deliberately abandoned her a few months before the storm. Learning that Vagamundo had been rejected by the person who was supposed to protect her, upset the ranchers. They intensified their search, but Vagamundo seemed to vanish as curiously as she appeared. For weeks, her food dish sat in the barn, untouched. Then came the call from the shelter: “We think we’ve found your dog,” a woman said. The ranch foreman asked where they found Vagamundo. There

“Let’s call her Vagamundo,” one of them said. The name means vagabond of the world. was a pause on the line. “I must have made a mistake,” she said. “We found a dog called Beara, not Vagamundo.” The rancher asked her to describe the dog they had found. Although it didn’t match Vagamundo’s description, he drove to the shelter anyway. He arrived at the shelter and scanned the cages. There inside a kennel was a shaken – but happy – Vagamundo. The foreman later learned that the ranch owner misunderstood him and told the shelter the dog’s name was Beara. The foreman was so amused by the mistake that he officially changed her name to Beara. That day, Beara rode back to the ranch and resumed her position as the ranch’s dog. She raced back into the barn and immediately jumped into the horses’ water buckets to cool off. (Continued on page 2)

(Continued from page 1) Everyone cheered her return except for the horses. They hated it when she dirtied up their water. Beara cools herself in the horses’ water trough.

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

Bill took Beara with him mostly everywhere he went – to the store, the post office, to visit friends. Some people in town made a joke about it, calling Beara “Bill’s new wife.” Even when Bonnie rode in the car with them, Beara didn’t relinquish her seat. She sat in the front and Bonnie sat in the back, with laughter.

SEVERAL YEARS LATER

It had been a difficult time for Bonnie. Her Airedale Terrier had recently passed away. As Bonnie prepared to depart the ranch, Beara was lying in front of her SUV. The ranchers tried to shoo her away, but Beara wouldn’t budge. One of the ranchers approached Bonnie. “I think she wants you to take her home.”

It was one of the few places where Beara couldn’t accompany Bill. Bill was going to the doctor, and he left Beara behind. When Bill returned, Beara immediately sensed fear. She followed Bonnie and Bill into the den and offered her paw. That’s where Bill delivered the news. His tests had come back. He had a terminal illness.

After a few more attempts to get her to move, Bonnie agreed to take Beara – but just for the night. She already had three other dogs at home. She opened the passenger door and Beara bolted up onto the seat. Bonnie drove her home and immediately put Beara into the bath. She blissfully let Bonnie lather up her dirty coat. It was sometime during the bath that Bonnie’s husband Bill returned home and sat by the fireplace. Without a word, Bonnie toweled Beara off and released her into the den. She stood at a distance to watch Bill’s reaction to their visitor.

It was the cruelest news possible. The three of them later moved to Hawaii, and a year later Bill went into skilled nursing at Maunalani Nursing and Rehab Center. To the delight of the other patients, Bonnie often took Beara there. Beara always jumped into Bill’s bed and kissed him.

Beara approached Bill and gently sat in front of his chair. She stared at him for a few minutes and then lifted one of her damp paws into his hand. A giant smile spread across his face. What happened next astonished Bonnie: the two sat by the fire together holding hands (or “paws”). At that moment, Beara’s vagabond days came to an end. Beara fit in well with the other dogs and soon became like a shadow to Bill and Bonnie.

had a lot in store for them. As a result, Bonnie – and Beara, who is now 12 years old – have fallen in love again. The man in their lives is Mel Libman and he is rarely seen without Beara a few steps behind him – or riding in the front seat of his car. The next time you visit Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, you just might meet Beara. When Bonnie and Mel travel, the “Vagamundo” stays at AAHA. Bonnie says that Beara always knows she’s going to board at AAHA. The minute they walk through the front doors, Beara trots into the reception area with the Aloha Animal Hospital Associates employees. They’ve nicknamed her the office manager. In fact, if Beara doesn’t think they’re working fast enough, she barks at them. Beara is a very special dog and the AAHA staff looks forward to her visits. “They don’t like to give her back,” Bonnie jokes. “They really ‘get’ how special Beara is.”

Over the ensuing months, Bonnie and Beara did the best thing they could possibly do – completely engulf Bill in their love. Beara was a major source of strength for both Bill and Bonnie. “I think you’re the most spiritually evolved animal ever created,” Bonnie told her. Then came the day when Bill was taken from them. Beara rested her head on Bonnie’s lap. It was an unspoken communication – Beara was trying desperately to take away her sorrow.

TODAY It took a long time, but ultimately Beara helped to ease the pain. Bonnie credits Beara for giving her hope. “She’s the Buddha of the dog world,” Bonnie laughs, “or maybe the Kuan Yin.” Thanks to Beara’s devotion, Bonnie knew that life still

Beara falls into position at her favorite stakeout – right in front of Mel.

At Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, we’re really into your pets. Tell the AAHA family your heartwarming stories by going to www.alohaanimal.com and clicking on “My Aloha Animal”. Maybe your pet will be featured next.

TAKE A VIRTUAL VISIT TO AAHA Visit our new website at www.alohaanimal.com and check out our FREE prescription delivery service. You can also nominate your pet to be our next “Aloha Animal.” Just click onto “My Aloha Animal“ to share your stories about your special pet. While you’re there, meet other pet lovers in our AAHA community, get some great tips on pet care and more. This is a brand new site, so we would love your feedback and suggestions.

Aloha Animal Hospital Associates. We love your pet like you do - www.alohaanimal.com - [email protected] - 732-2242

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AAHA GARNERS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE This is the 13th consecutive year that Aloha Animal Hospital Associates has earned the designation, making it an elite member of North America’s veterinary leaders. Dr. Douglas Chang acknowledges the team for the accreditation. “The consistent, ongoing accreditation validates our commitment to every pet that comes through our doors. In a time of economic uncertainty, Dr. Jones, Dr. Fujitani and I believe the accreditation is more important than ever.”

You can rest easy knowing that your pet is under the very best care at Aloha Animal Hospital Associates. We recently earned international recognition from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the only organization that accredits veterinary practices in North America. This designation is earned by only 15 percent of North America’s small animal hospitals. Aloha Animal Hospital Associates met or exceeded 130 different quality benchmarks in 20 major disciplines including the following: •

Critical Care

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Surgery

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Pain Management

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Anesthesia

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Safety

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Dentistry

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Pharmacy

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Housekeeping and Maintenance

Anna Worth, VMD, AAHA president said, “Aloha Animal Hospital Associates belongs to a select group of practices that are committed to meeting the highest standards in veterinary medicine. AAHA hospitals pass a stringent evaluation of over 900 standards of medical protocols. By attaining accreditation, Aloha Animal Hospital Associates has demonstrated its dedication to offering the best care to its patients and clients.”

If your pet needs surgery or critical care, you know AAHA is highly qualified and a leader in minimizing pain. Each time you entrust your pet to AAHA, you know the highest level of attention is being paid to every detail.

Jernel Miyamoto and Dr. Douglas Chang use an electronic stethoscope to make a permanent record of this dog’s heartbeat.

MEET ERIKA

MEET KRISTIN

When you come through the doors at AAHA, Erika is usually the first person you see. She sits in the reception area and greets clients. Although she’s very outgoing, she doesn’t like to talk about herself. Instead, she likes to talk about pets.

While Kristin was interviewing for her job at AAHA, she saw how well kept the hospital was. But it was the friendly staff that helped her make the final decision to work for AAHA. Kristin is a local girl who graduated from Pearl City High School. She’s AAHA’s newest vet tech. Her favorite aspects about working at AAHA is knowing that she’s helping animals that are in need.

“That’s what drew me to AAHA,” she said. “I love being able to see all different kinds of pets throughout the day. They each have their own personality.” Erika, a Sacred Hearts Academy graduate, especially loves the personality of her one-year-old, Boston Terrier, Dexter. “He’s a total clown,” she said. “He’s my child and best friend,” she said. Erika recently threw a big birthday bash for Dexter. He just turned one. “I guess it was his baby luau,” she laughed. “I probably spent the same amount of time planning it.”

She has a Lion Head mix rabbit whose name is HB (which stands for “Hobo Bunny). Why the name? HB was found in the parking structure of a nearby office building at her previous job. No one claimed her, so Kristin took her home. There’s another reason for the name – her Lion Head heritage. Lion Heads have longer fur around their head like a mane, and HB’s mane made it look like she hadn’t shaved for awhile, like a hobo.

When she’s not throwing doggie birthday parties or greeting pets at AAHA, Erika likes to work out to exercise videos or go to the gym. An outdoor lover, Erika enjoys rock climbing. She climbs at Makapuu or at the giant rock wall at her gym. When exercise time is over, Erika prefers to fill up on Korean food. “I love the spices,” she said.

When she’s not at AAHA, Kristin loves to catch up on her sleep and eat Italian food. “I could probably eat Italian every day and not get tired of it,” she said. “I think it's all the cheese, garlic and tomatoes.”

Aloha Animal Hospital Associates. We love your pet like you do - www.alohaanimal.com - [email protected] - 732-2242

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DR. CHANG TO HOST KHON2’S “LOVE YOUR PET” Watch Dr. Douglas Chang host “Love Your Pet” every other Tuesday morning on KHON2’s Wake Up 2Day. To watch previous episodes, go the AAHA website and click on the KHON2 link.

Did you know?

Aloha Animal Hospital uses environmentally friendly, non-allergenic laundry soap on all of its towels. You can feel confident that your pet’s skin will not get irritated and neither will our environment.

“For Pets Sake” is a quarterly publication of the Aloha Animal Hospital Associates. We hope you enjoyed this newsletter and

Ask Dr. Chang

Got a question for Dr. Chang? Send in your question and a photo of your pet, and if we run your question, you’ll get a free gift.

we welcome your comments and suggestions. Please submit them to: Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, 4224 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816

Your pets are part of our family too, and it is an honor to care for them. All of us on staff give our genuine mahalo to you for placing your trust and confidence in our ability to care for your pets. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously.

or call us at 808/734-2242.

www.alohaanimal.com

Aloha Animal Hospital Associates 4224 Waialae Ave • Honolulu, Hawaii 96816

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