Meet Therapy Dogs Kona and Rowan

Meet Rowan

Happy 1st Birthday Rowan !

Our newest therapy dog turns one!

We were so excited to celebrate Rowan’s first birthday with all of you! Everyone who visited during the week of his birthday received homemade paw print cookies that said ROWAN.

Rowan is the third therapy dog to join our staff but the first puppy. Rowan was born August 21, 2023 in Las Vegas. From the time he was born it was easy to spot him among his siblings, he was the one always sleeping on his back! He still loves to be on his back, but now it is so he can get belly rubs!

Long day at the office…

Learn more about Rowan and his total obsession with shoes, plus lots of pictures…

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROWAN AND HIS SHOE OBSESSION

Rowan is an 18 month old Cavalier King Charles puppy who joined the office in November 2023. He came from Heaven Sent Cavaliers in Las Vegas. Kelly and her children poured a lot of love into him his first 3 months, holding him and playing with him, and because of them, he is a very friendly and confident little guy. He loves everyone and is always excited to meet someone new. He and his siblings were all named after trees. In Celtic Mythology, the “Rowan” tree is considered to represent power, vision, balance, healing, mystery, connection, protection, and transformation. He couldn’t have been given a better name!

As a puppy, Rowan was very “chill” and could be spotted among his siblings as one who was always on his back asleep (he is wearing the orange collar). Today, you can still catch him sleeping on his back, or rolling over when approached to encourage a tummy rub!

Rowan's Photo Gallery

Rowan Loves Shoes!

We started to notice when he was around 3 1/2 months, he liked to lay on shoes. It quickly became an obsession with shoes, anyone’s shoes! He will snatch one as soon as someone takes one off and it touches the ground. He will grab it and carry it to his dog bed or food area, and lay on it. Not just one kind of shoe, but all kinds, from sneakers, to flip flops, to loafers, even UGG boots! He never chews on any of them, just collects them. At any given time he may have 4 or more in his dog bed. He has even put his bone in a shoe, using it as a “holder” while he chews on it. He has been known to wake from a dead sleep if he hears the sound of a shoe touching the floor. Be careful if you take your shoes off in the office –he may take one (or two) and bring them into his kennel under Dr. Rappaport’s desk!

Goodbye to KONA

It is with a heavy heart that we share Kona passed away on March 17, 2025. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur at the age of 8, and while that was holding steady with medication, he developed a brain tumor, which caused him seizures and ultimately took his life.

Kona was a 10 year and 7 months old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel rescue turned therapy dog. He was rescued from Hawaii when he was just 11 months old and appropriately came with his name. Kona was initially an “understudy” to Charlie when he first joined us, and began to spend more time in the office as Charlie was aging. When Charlie passed away, Kona took over and loved it. Kona was very affectionate and loved to give kisses and lay on people just to get his tummy rubbed. As he began his “Golden Years” we introduced Rowan to give Kona a much needed break.

Kona loved the company of Rowan, when he wasn’t trying to engage him in a game of “chase.” He loved food, especially eggs, dried sweet potatoes and frozen watermelon! But most of all, Kona was a love bug, and he was happiest when he was around his people, all his people. He needed little else but their company. He brought joy to many and he will be deeply missed.

To adopt a Cavalier like Charlie or Kona, please visit Cavalier Rescue USA

KONA TURNS 10 YEARS OLD!

Kona, our second therapy dog, turned 10 on August 27, 2024. Kona is a rescue from the Big Island of Hawaii, and came with his name. He is “semi-retired” and comes around the office to visit with patients from time to time. He has taken a break while Rowan has been “in training.”

Kona's Photo Gallery

Goodbye to Charlie

It is with a very heavy heart that we share with you that Charlie passed away February 4, 2022. He was 14 years and 5 months, and after being diagnosed with a heart condition at age 8, we treated every day as a “gift.” For those who knew him, he was a very special guy, a rescue turned therapy dog, who was in the office every day. Charlie loved attention and tummy rubs, and especially the kids who gave him treats. He loved to hunt for lizards and looked forward to the kids who took him on adventure walks. He spent most of his “Golden Years” sleeping and snoring and enjoying the company of people. He was a great listener, and when he lost his hearing, he learned to “listen” with all his senses.

Charlie had his share of “old man” issues, including mitral valve disease (common in Cavaliers), seizures, and intervertebral disc disease for which he took a variety of medications and supplements. In the Summer of 2021, Charlie was in physical therapy and he built up his leg strength on an underwater treadmill (see pictures and video below). Unfortunately he developed seizures which further weakened his back legs and he had to stop his therapy. During his last 8 months, he had a few “sleepovers” with staff at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital, including New Year’s Eve 2021!

Charlie was a happy, loving companion right up till his last day, which he spent at the Del Mar beach park, and then at home, eating his favorite foods. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family. He brought joy to everyone who knew him, and we all miss him greatly. His picture still hangs in our waiting room.

Charlie's Rehab Summer 2021

Charlie had intervertebral disc disease which made his back legs weak. He was in rehab to help gain more strength in his back legs to help him get up and walk around. He was a great patient, always letting his therapist Maja work on his back legs–probably because he knew treats were coming after!

He got the hang of the underwater treadmill pretty quickly and went from 5 minutes to 22 minutes during the course of his treatments. We are grateful to Maja and her staff at Tsavo’s Canine Rehab for their wonderful care and support which provided Charlie with a better quality of life.

Charlie's Underwater Treadmill

August 27, 2021

We were so excited to celebrate Charlie’s 14th birthday in August 2021! Diagnosed with a heart condition at 8 years old, we have approached every day as a “gift” and every birthday as a cause for great celebration!