Heaven Is Calling...

I posted this eulogy exactly two weeks ago on my Facebook page. I wasn't sure about publishing it here on Insights and Sounds (especially after sharing the passing of our puppy Alyeska), but Lohelani was such an important part of my life that I feel the need to honor her in whatever way I can...

Lohelani, which in Hawaiian means "to hear heaven's calling" was actually born in Honoka'a. Her owners were selling Lohe and her siblings out of a truck in the parking lot of the Parker Ranch shopping center. Having visited the Big Island regularly since 1987, it was inevitable that I would find my sweetheart in a place that is so special to me. I needed to purchase a small crate and an airline ticket to bring her back to Oahu, but her price tag of $25.00 made me feel like I got the deal of the century.

Lohe was super shy and she hid under the seat of the car rental all the way to Hilo. I stopped a couple of times on the road just to make sure she was okay. Back in Honolulu, the bargain puppy proved to be otherwise. I used my tax return to install an expensive wire fence to keep Lohe from uprooting my dad’s favorite plants. In the same week, she got stung by a bee giving her the look of a comical platypus (nothing a $300.00 vet visit couldn’t cure). Being a bachelor, Lohe and I spent much time and adventures together. On our first trip to the North Shore, the pup left a big pile of excrement on the back seat of my truck. It must have smelled bad to her too, because she came up front and stayed there for the entire drive. 

My girl took the arrival of a new woman to the house, my wife Sue, very well and somehow managed to transition into an inside house dog. She even took the arrival of puppy Juneau well, although the early adjustment period was tough for both of us. Being an only dog for the first seven years to having a little creature suddenly jumping on you every other minute was daunting. I slept on the kitchen floor the first night we brought home Juneau just so I could keep them apart. I remember going up to Lohe that night, kissing her on the head, and apologizing for bringing home another dog. She answered me with her soulful, quizzical eyes and the sound of silence. But I knew she would be a good sister to Juneau, and she was.

In the intervening years, Lohe was sometimes the neglected child due to Juneau being the princess of the family. She would defer to Juneau in all things, whether it be drinking from the water dish, or entering/exiting the house. One area Lohe still ruled was receiving hugs and treats from outsiders. Unlike Juneau, Lohe loved people and the attention.

In the past couple of years, Lohe began exhibiting lumps on her underside…fatty tissue that caused enormous swells. Although an exceptionally strong dog, the most recent surgery really took its toll on her health.

In late December (as most of my friends on FB know), Sue and I welcomed Sitka into our home. A rambunctious and rascally pup, Sitka immediately grew fond of Lohe and followed her around like the much revered older sister. I often wondered if Lohe thought to herself, "You're putting me up with another one of these things???" But as she was with Juneau, Lohe was extremely patient and enduring. Even in her declining health, she put up with lots of playful bites, jumping, and general annoyance that one expects from a puppy.



Lohelani went to sleep at 9:37 am on a Wednesday morning...having at last answered heaven’s call. She’s now young and healthy again, meeting her new sister Alyeska for the first time and getting a ton of treats and hugs!

There’s a debate I often hear among Christians about whether dogs (or any pet for that matter) go to heaven. The bible remains quiet on this subject, so anyone's guess is as good as mine. But I think it's incredibly clear to me that God, in His infinite wisdom, created dogs to bring a piece of heaven here to earth.

Until I next see you again my girl, always know how much happiness and love you brought into our lives...

Lohelani
Nov 2002 -Jan 2017

  (Photos Copyright 2017 Len Yokoyama)

A Tale of Two Puppies

Aloha and Happy New Year from Hawaii!

As most readers know, Mark has kindly allowed me to post on his blog with stories and photos from my ongoing life. Since Mark gave you a general background on me, I'm going to avoid the obvious introduction post and delve right into current events (this will save you from having to read my biography and me from writing it).

This first entry actually appeared on my Facebook page, but I decided to repost it here:

                Sue gets ready to take home Sitka

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Charles Dickens famous opening line from "A Tale of Two Cities" is an appropriate description for the story I'm about to tell. Some of my friends on FB will remember me posting a photo of my wife Sue and soon to be newest member of our household...Alyeska. This Siberian Husky puppy was still nursing with her mom so it would be a few weeks before we would actually take possession of her. This past weekend, I received a message from Karissa Struba​, owner of For The Love Of Pomskies​ with terribly sad and tragic news. Sweet Alyeska had passed away from causes unknown. Reading the words, I was in initial shock, not understanding what the message meant. After a minute or so passed, I came to realize that Alyeska was never coming home with us.

     Our brief time spent with Alyeska

The next hardest thing was telling my wife. Like me, Sue was initially in disbelief, but the grief and tears came very soon and sudden. As hard as it was for us, we knew it was worse for Rissa and her family. After a couple of days passed to deal with the emotional loss and pain, we made contact with each other and Rissa offered us a refund on our deposit or the opportunity to take home Alyeska's sister (the last remaining pup from the litter). What's funny is that Sue was initially drawn to Sitka (which we ended up naming her), but  as she began to squirm and bite her toes, we began to have doubts. All pups are biters as they begin teething, so that's not a problem. The squirming and Rissa's acknowledgement that Sitka was a bit more "independent" made us opt for the more mellow Alyeska. Before driving out to Ewa Beach, I asked Sue that we not make a decision when visiting Rissa, that we wait to get home so we could talk and pray on this decision. Sue had been honest and told me her mind was made up...that the puppy needed a home. Nonetheless, she agreed to wait. Once at Rissa's beautiful home, it was obvious that Sitka was coming home with her. To see the smile and happiness on my wife's face was all anyone could ask and hope for. As it so happens, Sitka is turning out to be a sweetheart, very affectionate, and open to intense belly rubs.

It's been said that a dog is but a chapter in a person's life, while for the dog, the person is the entire book. We were able to spend maybe 45 minutes with Alyeska...a small chapter in her life. Now she's writing a whole book of joy and happiness in heaven. As for us, we're beginning a new chapter with her sister Sitka. Looking forward to an amazing tale for sure!

                 "What kind of trouble can I get into next...hmmmm"

              "I call this brown tasty stuff...brown tasty stuff!"

(Photographs copyright Len Yokoyama.)