A great loss at Nakoa Cairns helps Hawaii Dog Coummunity learn the danger of Mushrooms

In June of 2008, we tragically lost four of our beloved dogs. We lost our lovely friend, show dog, and sire, Rocky, just at his prime at four years of age and three lovely pups sired by him at just nine months of age. It was an incredibly painful time for us and it took us a while to update our web site. Our wonderful vet Dr. Castro of Hilo Veterinary went beyond what could be expected in his search for the cause, and was able to give us some peace of mind by determining that they had ingested a highly toxic mushroom of the Amanita family. We have shared the information with the local dog community in hopes that other dog owners can be spared a loss by knowing about the deadly white to grey mushroom, Amanita Marmorata, which grows in association with ironwood, paperbark, and bottlebrush trees. This mushroom is extremely toxic, requiring only a very small quantity to kill even a human, and once ingested there is no antitdote. We also thank Dr. Hemmes, a local mushroom expert who kindly shared information on the mushroom with us and other concerned dog owners. We are especially grateful for the outpouring of support and understanding from Dr. Castro and his wife Ann, our friends, and from the dog community in Hawaii, the mainland and even abroad.

Forever in our hearts...

Ch YBR Redcoat Scotch on the Rock, "Rocky". A beautiful dog, with an even more beautiful soul. He was a great friend and produced lovely puppies with his happy, showy, and confident temperament. He made many friends in the Hawaii show world. We miss him so much.

Nakoa Pineapple Fizz "Pipi". The only girl in a litter of eight, she was a tiny scrawny pup, slightly homely with a bat-face, but with a lot of vigor and who grew up into Paul's beautiful wee princess. She had star quality from day one. She looked like a miniature version of her Mom, with a little haughtier attitude. She was a standout, a real cutie, and the favorite of many of our friends and family.

Nakoa Tropical Melody "Minnie Mouse". A real dynamo, Minnie was an adventurer with no fear. She was always into flower-pots, jumping into buckets, exploring into corners and under furniture. Very smart, and very pretty; she was a lovely girl who like her brother combined the best points of the sire and dam. I sadly have no photos of her lovely face as she matured, which had heavy black eye liner and wonderful expression. She tilted her head to listen as you talked to her, as she is doing here. She wormed her way solidly into my heart in her nine months and has left a big hole behind.

Nakoa Tropical Mojo. Perhaps our greatest hope for the show ring of the three pups, he combined the movement of his sire with the best points of his dam: little ears, short tail, and his Grandmother's ribcage. He was a real character that looked you right in the eye with an expression difficult to decipher. He was a thinker, yet always cheerful and fearless. He loved his little toy giraffe (in his mouth here).