As of March 22, it has now been three years since Hoku made his way from foster care in Lamar County to now living the pampered life in Hawaii.
In March 2019, Jennifer Tan received a message about how Coconut, now Hoku – which means Star in Hawaiian – was in need of his forever home.
“At the time of the post, I was still grieving the loss of my beloved Cody, who was also a rescue,” Tan said. “I had to put down Cody due to a congestive heart issue and at that time, I was not ready to have another dog.”
Tan said after looking at Hoku’s pictures, she decided to reach out to Sheri Ashford with Baby Gunn’s Animal Rescue for more information on the then-upcoming adoption event. When the weekend’s event arrived, Tan made the drive from North Dallas to Paris to see Hoku. Ashford shared Hoku’s history with Tan and she shared her story of losing Cody.
“When Hoku arrived and I took him out of his kennel, I felt an instant connection and love for him immediately – I knew at that point that I would provide him a forever home,” Tan said. “Hoku’s calm, sweet demeanor and soulful eyes were the driving factor of my decision to bring him home.”
Hoku, having been shy and skittish when Tan first got him, has adapted to the Hawaiian lifestyle really well – “He has since evolved into a loving, happy, and social dog! It’s amazing how love transforms!”
“He loves the long walks we take on the beach and is slowly getting accustomed and comfortable with the ocean’s waves and being in it,” Tan said. “He absolutely loves how everything is so green here and has made a friend, Ruby.”
One of Hoku’s favorite activities is running really fast in circles on the grass.
“He is VERY pampered and has mostly grooming, spa and way too many dog toys,” Tan said.
As Hoku and Cody were rescues, Tan said there are many animals that deserve care and a loving home.
“Animals cannot choose their situation,” Tan said. “However, we have the ability to make situations better for them. In turn, you will get unconditional love and loyalty that you will always cherish and remember. Please support Baby Gunn’s Animal Rescue!”
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Like and follow MyParisTexas.com on Facebook, and share this story – Reporting local news in Paris and Lamar County, Texas. This story was first published on June 21, 2021.
