Kona has a true rags-to-riches story. The golden husky mix was repeatedly abandoned and sent to local animal shelters.
“I’m her fifth owner,” says Meg Bosi. “She was given up five times. She had quite the rap sheet.”
Andrea Stetson
Kona loves paddleboarding with her owner, Meg Bosi. The golden husky mix is also a certified therapy dog that helps participants in Special Olympics.
When Meg first saw Kona at Lee County Domestic Animal Services in 2016, she knew the nameless dog was perfect for her.
“When I walked in, she came to my knees and sat down,” Meg says. “She has a nice combination of submissiveness and assertiveness. She knows what she likes and doesn’t like.”
What Kona didn’t like when she was adopted was the water. That didn’t work with Meg’s lifestyle, so she set out to encourage her new dog to enjoy the local waterways as much as she does.
“I started paddling with her almost immediately after I got her,” Meg recalls. “That was a prerequisite. If you are going to be my dog, you are going to have to like water. The first time I took her to the river, she was extremely scared of water.”
Meg was patient with her new canine.
“It was a process,” she says. “I started just getting her in ankle deep water. I was just getting her used to the water and then getting her on the board, and then I would stand by the board and walk around the board. Then I would hop on the board with her. She would put all of her weight on my legs. After doing it almost daily, now she will walk all around. She is very comfortable doing it now. As soon as I put it in, she will jump on. She really does love it.”
On a recent sunny afternoon, Kona, now 10, wags her golden tail as Meg splashes her paddleboard into the water at the Riverside Park launch in Bonita Springs. The dog immediately jumps on the board and sits down, ready to go.
Meg paddles with Kona about once a week. She says her dog helps her train for the races she competes in. Meg is part of the Surftech Team of competitive racers.
“I call her my drag suit,” Meg says. “She adds 60 pounds to my board, which is a lot more to push. She gives me a workout if I am training. Balancing out another source of weight and movement is extremely challenging for most people. It definitely adds to strengthening your legs. Most people struggle just with balancing and overcoming waves and tides and wind, and then having her as well it can definitely be challenging, but it’s made me a better paddler.”
Paddleboarding is just one part of Kona’s life of riches.
“She is kind of the do-it-all dog,” Meg says. “We skateboard, we bike, we road trip. She is a service therapy dog for Special Olympics Florida for stand-up paddleboarding and basketball. In Collier and Lee counties, the athletes absolutely adore her.”
Andrea Stetson
Kona loves paddleboarding with her owner, Meg Bosi. The golden husky mix is also a certified therapy dog that helps participants in Special Olympics.
Meg is a chemistry teacher at the new Bonita Springs High School, but she also coaches paddleboarding and basketball for Special Olympics and enjoys having Kona at her side. Kona goes to practices about once a week and to all the events that are accessible by car.
“She acts as a service dog for them,” Meg says. “Children with autism and Down syndrome use her for comfort. Since she has been coming to practices, we have had minimal problems out on the water. The kids want to be near her. They will finish the workout for Kona. They really adore her.”
Sponsors also adore her.
“She has more sponsors than I do,”Meg says.
Kona is sponsored by Pack Leashes, a brand specific for active dogs. She is also sponsored by the dog apparel company, Dog is Good. Kona Ice in Punta Gorda used her for an advertisement.
“They actually reached out to us,” Meg says. “We go to a lot of shows for stand-up paddleboarding, and lots of people gawk at her. Even when I walk down the street, people are always stopping me to say how beautiful she is.”
While Kona does not have her own Instagram page, most of Meg’s page is full of photos of her dog. When Kona was adopted, she did not have a name. Meg named her after one of her favorite places in Hawaii. Even the board that Meg now paddles on is appropriate for Kona. The brand is called Bark.
Meg says she can’t believe so many people abandoned her golden bundle of joy.
Kona is well-behaved, cuddly, gorgeous and just a great pet, Meg says.
“Once they get in the right environment, they will act accordingly,” she says.