Koa - MO

Koa is a special dog who came to us from a hospice situation at a shelter, but the vet feels he has a lot of life left to live. In true Malinois fashion, no hospice needed.
His name means warrior, and it is fitting considering that he has survived all the world has thrown his way!
Someone gave up on him, and he was found as a stray. He is blind, was heartworm positive, and was born with something called a valgus deformity in his legs. Koa is being evaluated by an ophthalmologist to see if any of his vision can be restored in his right eye, but he can't proceed with further evaluation until he is 6 months post heartworm treatment. Thus, the final verdict is still out. We know he will be completely blind in his left eye for the remainder of his life. His valgus deformity is genetic and cannot be corrected. It may cause him to develop early arthritis, but so far he doesn't seem to exhibit pain in his joints. Additionally, we expect him to fully recover from his heartworm diagnosis as his crate rest is finished.

Koa is not overly food motivated, but if you are making his breakfast, he may counter surf a bit. A bit meaning he may
jump onto the counter to supervise!
He is crate trained though he prefers to be with his foster mom, and he is doing well with the resident Aussie. He also gets along well with the chihuahua and doesn't mind having a snake in the aquarium nearby!
Unbelievable for a Malinois, right?
They mostly co-exist, and we are not sure if that will change.
Might he want to play with another dog someday? That is a question for the future.

Though he faces a lot of challenges, Koa is a
sweet Malinois who still enjoys life
once he is given an opportunity to get to know his surroundings and feel comfortable with the physical space and people.
He will need a special adopter who can love him well and be patient as he learns that the world can be a kind place.
We hope that when he is able to develop a close bond with his forever person that he will be able to learn some basic obedience.