We adopted Kea (at the time known as Nikki) in May of 2006, and her RAGOM number is 06-178.

As you will see in the photos, Kea is not your typical RAGOM dog. She is often mistaken for a purebred black lab. However, she most definitely lives "the golden life". When we adopted her, we wanted to name her with a Hawaiian word. The Hawaiian word for "black" is too long, so we settled on Kea, which means "white". It's our little joke that she is the complete opposite of what the word means.

Nikki was a frightened, submissive dog when we first adopted her, and was terrified of our (at the time) 2 1/2 year old daughter. We had to do a lot of gentle, calm interactions to teach her about being with children. We went on many walks where she skittered and shied away from every leaf, noise and animal. As the photos show, boy has Kea changed! Our family has grown by one since that time, and Kea is adored and loved by both children, and returns the affections wholeheartedly. She is their protector and whenever a cry arises, she is the first one at the scene. She loves walks in the woods behind our house and the snow, and is rarely frightened by anything she encounters outdoors anymore. She is our companion and our big snuggler, and we couldn't imagine life without her.

Thank you for all you do for the dogs, and for putting together the calendar! It all means so much to so many animals and people.

-Beth F