From a Crate to a Soul Pup: How Kona Found Her Person

When Manuela’s mom spotted a handwritten flyer in her neighborhood advertising a dog for sale — and then noticed the same dog was listed on Craigslist she became worried about who’d show up to claim her. “All my mom could think was this pup is going to get bought by someone looking for a dog-fighting dog,” Manuela says.

It’s not a paranoid leap, either. Craigslist rehoming posts are largely unregulated, meaning anyone can respond, and for many dogs, that’s a genuinely dangerous situation. It’s one of the reasons legitimate Rehome by Adopt a Pet exists — to put some guardrails between a vulnerable animal and whoever happens to show up first with cash in hand. So Manuela went to meet Kona.

The meet-and-greet that changed everything

Kona was born in a shelter and picked up at three months old; by the time Manuela met her, she was spending most of her time in a crate, with her water intake controlled so she wouldn’t have accidents inside it. She was shy and a little withdrawn, content to sit alone with her orange toy while Manuela and her previous pet parent talked. Her pet parent described her as “hard to handle” and too much to manage on long walks.

Manuela sat down on the floor and waited. Within ten minutes, Kona crossed the room, sat down next to her, and put her head in Manuela’s lap. “At that moment, I feel like she chose me,” Manuela says. “I’ll never forget the feeling I had.”

What a dog looks like when they finally get space

After a two-hour drive home, they took a long walk around the lake in Manuela’s neighborhood, where Kona smelled everything, played with sticks, and at one point just stopped and sat down to take in everything she’d just passed — like she needed a moment to absorb it all. The dog her previous pet parent had called too hard to handle walked like she’d been doing it her whole life. From day one, she was an easy, curious, and happy pup.

Courtesy Kona’s person/

Still, it seemed like she hadn’t had enough positive exposure to different people, things, and environments. She was cautious around unfamiliar things, poking at them slowly with her nose to test them out, which made Manuela wonder how much time she’d really spent outside the crate. 

Five years and counting

Kona has had TPLO surgery on both knees — a significant recovery, twice over — and came through it with a lot of cuddle time with Manuela and a full return to adventure mode after. She’s been to Georgia, logged plenty of beach days, and once stayed at a hotel near Universal Studios. She’s become the mascot of her neighborhood, beloved by kids who know exactly how gently she takes a treat from their hands.

Kona is now somebody’s soul pup. If you’re rehoming a pet, platforms such as Rehome by Adopt a Pet exist specifically to connect animals with adopters and to help guide you through screening to find the best adopters to keep your pet safe.