Komu's story, chapter One.

In late May of 2011, Jessica, a volunteer for MPP, was contacted by some acquaintances about a dog chained in a yard in Lakewood, WA.  The puppy cried and whined all day, right outside the windows of the office where these people worked.  They would feed him and give him water because the owners would not.  He was on a chain, and he always got the chain wrapped around the base of the shrubs, leaving him bent to the ground, trapped.  Jessica asked if there was anything MPP could do, so I went to investigate. The picture below is difficult for me to look at, knowing someone did that to my Komu.

 He was six months old.  I think they called him Puppy or something like that.  I knocked on the door and said I noticed their dog was whining and that his chain was caught on a tree trunk, and could I help?  They said they needed to get rid of him because they had one baby and twins on the way.  They wanted $100 for him.  I had $75 in my pocket.  They said they would think about it and I gave them my card.  I don't know why I didn't just run to the ATM at that moment.  I guess I wasn't thinking.  Jessica called back later and said she was with MPP, and could she buy the puppy now?  They said the dog had been sold.  Vashti, with Saving Great Animals, found their Craigslist ad.  She called the owners and did not identify herself as belonging to any organization.  She just said she saw the ad and wanted to buy him for $100.  She met them at Wapato Park, while I watched from a distance.  Once Komu was safely purchased and the former owners were gone, he sat in my lap at the base of a tree.  He was good and kind, and of course I fell in love with him immediately.

I did not want another dog, having three already.  I had recently learned that Tess had cancer, which, besides being the worst possible news, was putting me thousands of dollars in debt.  I took Komu to the vet to get him checked out.  Jessica met me there, and then we went to Petsmart to get him a new harness and a name tag.  Jessica did not want to take him home either, but she turned out to be a bigger sucker than me.  When we went to the engraving machine to put a name on his tag, we tried a couple of names, and then she picked Mocha.  Then I asked, "What phone number should we put on the tag?"  She said, "You'd better put mine on it."  Jessica succumbed to his puppy dog eyes.

Because of his separation anxiety, and because of Jessica's work schedule, he didn't work out there.  She gave him his current name, Wakomu, which means Family in Chippewa. She loved him and took good care of him, but his days alone led to destruction.  After a couple of months at Jessica's house, we decided I would give him a try.  He was very trying.  Although he had been housebroken at Jessica's, he had troubles at our house.  He chewed on everything.  He was a maniac, even if he was cute and lovable.  I had to keep him on a leash in the house just so I could keep tabs on him and keep him from destroying something.  Of course, none of that was his fault.  How would he know how to behave if he had been chained to a tree for the first six months of life?  Kelsy was especially unhappy with having this puppy around.  She felt betrayed.  He was always near me, by necessity, and Kelsy was forced away.  She had always been the one by my side, constantly, since she was a puppy, and now a new puppy was demanding all of my attention.  Tess was in the last few months of her life, and I wanted to spend more time with her, but Komu's constant demands interfered with that.  We had many good moments, especially when we went to the park, but life with Komu was generally not peaceful or pleasant for the first few months.

He turned a year old in late December, and in January of 2012 we started training him for cat detection.  From the start, he was very good at this.  However much he was a problem at home, he excelled at cat detection like he was born for it.  He followed directions well during training.  He was enthusiastic without being difficult to manage.  He was excited to find the kitties, but not at all aggressive toward them.  Other than chasing a ball or harassing Kelsy, finding kitties is what he does best.  Komu became much more manageable at home, too.  I can't help but think that having a meaningful job helped him mature, although simply growing older helped, too, I'm sure.  He transformed from a large, awkward, clumsy puppy to an athletic and confident dog.  He still has his puppy moments, but he is generally reliable and sturdy these days.

His first attempt at certification was the first time in six months that he failed to find the cat.  I chalk it up to a fluke of air flow and weather conditions.  He has been on three searches for lost cats so far.  On his first search, he found two cats, although not the cat we were seeking.  On his next two searches, he found the remains of one cat and piece of the hide of the other.  He passed his final exam on the second attempt.  Komu plays with Kelsy a little more gently these days, and she often seeks him out for play.  Wakomu is Family, now, besides being a great search dog.  I can't imagine life without him.  I have invested lots of love and training in him, but this has only brought out the goodness he had from the very start.  He now sleeps in the bed, next to Kelsy and me.  He is loved by many, and he has important work that he does well.  He is everything a dog should be, and he has come a long way from those days chained to the tree.