Koda and Kale

I can't think of any closer relationship than between a child and a dog. It's almost as if they are two parts of the whole. When I was growing up on Vancouver Island, we had an assortment of dogs -- Scottish terriers, golden labs, golden retrievers, and one dog in particular, a border collie named Sporty, who once saved me from drowning. I slipped on the mossy rocks next to a creek, and Sporty held my head out of the water by my blouse collar until someone could rescue me. I believe dogs are much more intelligent than people realize, and they have a sense of understanding that is deeper than we appreciate. I read a story in our local newspaper this week that confirmed what I believe about dogs. Here is the story, courtesy of the Globe and Mail.

When a young British Columbia family stopped to make camp in the Yukon wilderness they were surprised to see a scruffy dog that looked a bit like a coyote come out of the bush. They saw the mongrel had porcupine quills sticking out of its face and tried to help, not knowing that a simple act of kindness would be repaid in the most remarkable way – with the deliverance of their son from a life-threatening ordeal.

Two-year-old Kale disappeared into the bush wearing only a T-shirt on a cool and rainy night late last week. More than 24 hours later, search-and-rescue authorities found him alive, thanks in part to Koda, the yellow mutt with the quill-covered snout who protected the toddler and kept him warm overnight.

“A bear could have got him. Anything could have happened," said Mike Bondarchuk, a local hotel owner who volunteered in the search for Kale. “What we do know is the dog stuck with him, all night and all the next day."

Kale and Koda will now be able to stick together for good – Koda's owner has given the dog to the toddler's family. “He was meant to be there at that time," said Kim Dolan, the owner of Koda, who had been missing for about a week before meeting the boy. “It was tough to give him away. I was in tears … but it was the right thing to do," she said.

I think she can rest assured that Koda will be well-loved by a little boy named Kale.