Update 6/5/25: Hello everybody out there in this big beautiful world. It's me, Koa checking in with you to tell you what's been going on in my life since my last pupdate.

Let's start with telling you that the hair on my feet is growing back and that they are itty-bitty baby hairs growing on my leather ears. I've been gaining weight and I'm almost at the perfect weight. Foster mom felt comfortable enough that I was healthy enough to go get my much needed neuter and more so needed dental. She thought I'd come back toothless but I ended up being able to keep a couple of toofers. I had so many missing teeth already and actually my foster mom found a couple before I got my dental that must've fallen out on their own. She said when she found them it was like walking on a Lego ha ha ha. This is why it's so important to take your puppers to your dogter for their annual visits, their vaccinations and the dental when it's needed.

Because I got intubated for my surgeries, I still have a little bit of a cough, but it is clearing up. I am still so scared of everything, still very very head shy, the wind still scares me when I'm outside and if you suddenly approach me I get startled. It is getting a little bit better. Foster mom has been so patient when approaching me to give me my eye drops, but I still cringe when she picks me up. It is taking me a while to learn how to become a dog. I do not play with toys or other dogs here at my foster home. She is hoping that that may change someday.

I am a mature little guy, so I do sleep more than usual but I am also awake more than I used to be during the daytime hours. I do like to be outside just to enjoy the weather, smell the fresh air and watch all the other dogs do their silly stuff while we are all outside. I'm enjoying wandering the house just to be wandering.

I don't need a whole lot in my life. Just someone to love me for who I am. Someone who will be patient with me as I learn how to become a dog. Someone who will feed me nutritious food, which by the way I eat a mix of hard kibble and canned food. Sometimes foster mom throws a little bit of poached chicken and rice in there. She tends to sneak some vegetables in there too. I am a very quiet little guy. I don't even bark when all the other dogs are barking at the Amazon guy. Then again that could be because I do not hear anything. That kind of makes it difficult for foster mom to approach me because I cannot hear her coming or her voice. A nice yard that's fenced in would be pawsome. I can coexist with other pups that are about my size. I'd love my future home to have Pawrent(s) who work from home or are even retired. I walk nicely on a leash and foster mom says I am the bestest car rider she's had in a very long time.

I still see the eye specialist regularly so they can keep tabs on my eyes and what they're doing. The eye dogter told her that my right eye is healing well. I do have dry eyes so I will need to have eye drops put in 2 to 3 times a day. The ones we use do not cost much and can be found on Amazon. On our next check up we are hoping that we can stop doing the three other eye drops that I am currently on. The bottles last a long time so it's not very expensive to keep up on my eye medication. I do need to see an eye specialist twice a year just to keep tabs on my dry eye.

I love being brushed. Plus, I get to go get groomed very soon as I just have to wait for my neuter stitches to heal before they can get wet. Foster mom has given me baths, and I am a very cooperative pupper in the tub.

I'm still searching for my forever home and my very own fairytail ending. Could you possibly be my king or my queen to love me fur furever so I can become your prince and your castle? If you have any questions about me, please reach out to my foster mom at stickhors@gmail.com

Love, Koa

Update 04/25/25: Koa is certainly living up to his name. He has been such a brave warrior with all the visits we have had with the several veterinarian clinics we have visited in the past 6 weeks. Since his initial biography, he has been to our vet and has gotten all of his immunizations and his microchip. He had a terrible respiratory infection that took us a while to find the right antibiotic that would take care of it. Our doctor finally took a culture from his nose so we knew what we were dealing with after he was not getting any better from the antibiotics that we were using. We finally got him on the big gun antibiotics and his coughing and snotty nose finally cleared up. He has gained the much needed weight that he needed. Hair is finally growing back on his feet, but not on his ears yet.

We decided to go to a more local veterinarian here in Mckinney to get a thyroid test and just to get a second check up for him. His thyroid levels were just fine. That doctor found that he had a terrible ear infection which we took care of. We believe that he can't hear anything. She also mentioned after looking at his x-rays she feels he's much younger than 10-12. She feels like he could be anywhere from 7 to 9 years old because his bones look great.

Koa has become bold and fearless as he gains more confidence in himself and his surroundings. I don't know what kind of life he had before he came to UYR , but I believe it most likely not a great life. This little guy is so head shy and spooks very easily. Even the wind spooks him. I firmly believe that with time he will know and believe that he doesn't need to be frightened of the wind, of other dogs or hoomans.

Koa is not totally house trained. He looks forward to his breakfast and suppers and cleans his bowl. He will also check all the other bowls to make sure they are clean too. This guy is a great car rider after he is securely buckled in. He settles immediately in the backseat. He walks well on a leash and harness. He enjoys being outside in the sunshine and just walking around and using his sniffer. He has in the past two weeks, attempted to play with another foster pup for a few minutes, a couple of times each day.

The next couple of things we need to do for Koa is go visit our fabulous groomer. He needs to get a dental and also neutered. He is finally healthy enough to do all of these things so they will get scheduled in the very near future.

Koa is racking up his medical bills just trying to become a healthy pup. UYR relies on our family, friends and social media for donations. Koa keeps reminding me that it also takes a village for every United Yorkie Rescue pup to become the best pup they can be. It has been raining Yorkies for over a while now. Several shelters reach out to us for help, people who have found strays reach out to us, and sadly there are families that are surrendering their family pets usually because they cannot take care of the medical problems their baby has.

So if you have a few dollars in your pocket that you would like to share with us, that would be pawsitivly pawsome. It's real easy to donate. All you gotta do is hit the PayPal button at the very end of Koa's biography or you could donate through Zelle by going to: uyrtreasurer@yahoo.com.

We thank you for your donations as they are what keeps us rescuers going.

Until next time,

Koas Foster Mom,

Shirley S

Initial Bio 03/02/2025: I'm such a lucky pup. My name is Koa. This is a Hawaiian boy's name. Koa can mean brave, bold, fearless, or warrior. There is a reason why Foster mom gave me this name.

I have been in my foster home about 24 hours and what a whirlwind those 24 hours have been.

My journey starts with a nearby shelter, reaching out to UYR to see if they could help me. I was turned in as a stray and because of several medical reasons, I was given an early release if a rescue would step up to help me. UYR has NEVER said no to any pup especially a pup in my condition that needs their help.

So let me tell you about my first day with UYR. Foster mom and Foster dad picked me up as soon as they could on Saturday, March 1. As soon as Foster mom held me and looked at me she knew I needed immediate emergency help. She said out of all the foster puppies she's helped I was in the worst condition she has ever seen. My eyes were crusted shut, I had lime green snot running out of my nose. I was matted horribly with urine, feces, twigs and leaves in my hair and I smelled horrendous. Because it was a Saturday she immediately took me to VEG (Veterinary Emergency Group). We were quickly escorted into an isolation room and seen within minutes for the initial intake exam. It was decided that I needed to have everything checked out. This would take we were told up 2 to 4 hours. Well, it ended up being six hours and they did bloodwork, x-rays, clipped what they could off my body and clipped my toenails. They checked my eyes because one was crusted shut, and the other one was pretty close to being crusted shut. My teeth also were in the worst condition she has ever seen, my halitosis was very stinky plus and they checked me for many other things. My BAR score was 2/9. They could feel every bone in my body. I was put on antibiotics and given eye drops for my eyes.

I finally got to go to my new home, and foster mom and dad have a game plan for me.

So stay tuned for my pup dates. I know my pictures look terrible right now. So as soon as Foster mom gives me a bath (or many soap ups) and she will try to trim my hair a little bit that is if I let her. We will get the new pictures for you. These pictures were taken by the shelter. They show what terrible condition I was in.

My emergency visit to VEG was over $1100. We all know the saying "It takes a village". I am are asking our UYR village and friends that if you have a few extra dollars to spare, would you please consider donating it to UYR for my health care cost. You are able to Zelle it to uyrtreasurer@yahoo.com or you can use the PayPal link below. Your donations will be so so appreciated.

Thank you,

Ruv.

Koa

The luckiest dog in the DFW area.