Question: What ever happened to the Illinois resident who had her dog taken away by her boyfriend, only to find eight years later that the animal had been left at the Humane Society in Kona on Hawaii island?
Answer: Scores of supporters contributed enough money to reunite the dog, Koki, with its owner, Sheryl Jans, a fifth-grade teacher at Oakdale Elementary School in Illinois.
"I think it’s amazing," Jans said.
Through an online crowd-funding platform called GiveForward, Jans received contributions ranging from $2 to $1,000 from more than 90 people to raise $4,900 — enough money to eventually fly Koki to Illinois.
On the GiveForward website, supporters included residents from Hawaii to Florida and lovers of Boston terriers and dogs in general.
"The more I learn about people, the more I love my dog," said an owner named Mike, who donated $100.
Mark Daniel Aubrey, 7, donated his weekly allowance of $5.
"I love dogs," he said. "I lost my 5-month-old puppy to parvo (a virus that affects dogs) and there was no cure for her."
Some looked forward to a happy ending.
"I hope we can we see pics of when you & Koki are reunited," said Sherlyn Piatek, who donated $25.
The snub-nosed terrier, an 11-year-old female, was kept for about 31/2 months in Kona by a benefactor as funds were raised for her trip. It was also necessary to go through health clearances, including vaccination shots, Jans said.
She said she lost Koki when her boyfriend took the dog after their breakup.
The ex-boyfriend had apparently moved to Hawaii with Koki a couple of years ago, she said.
Jans said a friend called in June to say someone had left Koki at the Hawaii Island Humane Society shelter in Kona.
"I said, ‘Shut up,’ and started crying."
The friend had been listed as an emergency contact on a microchip embedded in Koki. The microchip also identified the owner as Jans.
A Humane Society employee said someone brought Koki into the shelter, saying the dog was wandering about.
Jans said she called the dog every night to make sure "she’s OK."
When Koki arrived in Illinois on Sept. 17, Jans opened the cage.
"I bent down, and she just kissed me and kissed me and kissed me and went right into my arms," Jans said. "She didn’t forget me."
Jans said Koki has also been reunited with the household’s 15-year-old male cat, Rummie. "He’s happy to have her back. She just lays by Rummie. She’s just the sweetest dog."
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This update was written by Gary T. Kubota. Suggest a topic for “What Ever Happened to …” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; calling 529-4747; or emailing cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.
