A New Girl in Town...

It was hard to find the right dog to fit our needs and our family. We loved Roxy so much and no other dog could replace her or pick up where she left off. Accepting that we would have to pour into our new addition and teach her the ropes, we agreed to take "Aurora a.k.a. Rorie" and welcome her into our lives. She met my basic requirements: crate trained, over six months old, partially housebroken and of course, adorable. My husband got the puppy he wanted and I did not have to lose sleep at night with a whining bundle of fur that needed to go outside every hour. Win-win for all. The name was changed to a Hawaiian word, "Koa", it means brave and fearless. It was especially significant to me because I desperately wanted another dog but was so afraid that my anxiety would overwhelm me and the stress might trigger my panic attacks. I prayed to overcome it and this name stood out to me as the perfect one.

She has golden eyes that look at us in a sweet, inviting manner. Her long tail and big floppy ears beg to be smushed. Chocolate brown fur that is short and glossy with a strip of black down the middle of her back shines in the sun. At 45 pounds and 7 months old, she is still a puppy, but her size is that of a boxer and there is potential for another 10-15 pounds of weight and size to gain. This Labrador mix is a goofball who gets a wild hair and tears through our house in a tornado of speed, crashing into walls as she turns the corners and does not clear them. It reminds us all of Roxy's spunk and fun and helps us remember her with a warm feeling in our hearts as we love this new girl in town.

When Zoe rides her scooter in the courtyard, Koa follows behind with a playful gait. This bothers Zoe because the two have not fully bonded yet and Zoe may be a little intimidated by the medium sized animal following behind on four paws. In time they will come to an agreement. London has fallen in love and fawns over this dog just as I hoped she would.We sit together on the floor and mush on her together and talk to her in ridiculous voices that are usually reserved for babies.

The aqua color memory foam bathmat intrigues her after she steps on it in an inquisitive manner and then discovers that it moves. This results in a full frontal pounce with two paws and a nose to get underneath this flat beast that is taunting her. Several jumps and sniffs later, she moves on to other exploits. Luckily I got this on video and it provides our family with much amusement and a first hand glimpse of her personality at home. Every morning she comes to my side of the bed to greet me with ice cold ears and licks because she has just had her 5am morning walk that Scott is kind enough to take her on. It starts my day off with a smile and I am eternally grateful to my husband for letting get the extra hour of sleep. The void that Roxy left is slowly being stitched up by the thread of Koa's presence, but her memory and the love we had for her will always remain in our hearts, pictures, and memories.

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