Cassondra was wrapping up a volunteer shift at Maui Humane Society the other day when a high-pitched noise suddenly stopped her in her tracks. Shelters are rarely quiet, and she was used to the constant noise. But this sound didn’t seem to be coming from
a resident dog.
“At first, I thought the sound was coming from the birds,” Cassondra told The Dodo.
Seconds later, the loud squeal rang out through the shelter again. Cassondra recognized the noise this time, but she was still baffled by where it was coming from.
“I heard it again and realized it was a squeaky toy, but I couldn’t think of who would be playing!” Cassondra said.
Curious, Cassondra returned to the kennels to find out who was playing with a toy. That’s when she saw one of the shelter’s most anxious pups, Kekoa, happily throwing a toy around.
Kekoa, who’d initially been abandoned in a crate at the shelter in 2024, was typically quiet and withdrawn. After being adopted in 2024 at 6 months old, then returned two years later when his humans were no longer able to care for him, Kekoa had nearly shut down.
“He’s been at the shelter for 17 days now, and it’s been really hard on him,” Cassondra said. “Usually during the day, he’s pretty stressed out.”
That’s why when Cassondra rounded the corner and realized it was Kekoa gleefully playing with his squeaky toy, she couldn’t help but grin.
“I was so surprised to see him playing like that,” Cassondra said. “It was SO enthusiastic! When he did that first little jump, I broke out into the biggest smile. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be Kekoa entertaining himself after everyone had gone home.”
You can watch that moment here:
Kekoa kept playing with his toy, bouncing around his kennel as he threw it up in the air repeatedly. At one point, the toy rolled under his bed, far out of his reach. So, Cassondra stopped in to save the day.
“I knew I had to go in and help him out and, of course, play with him, too!” Cassondra said.
Cassondra soon joined in on the fun, tossing Kekoa’s squeaky toys in the air and giggling as he leapt around his kennel to catch them. After a while, the two were finally tired from their game, and Cassondra kissed Kekoa goodbye for the night.
Kekoa soon settled into his bed for the evening while Cassondra returned home, wishing the sweet boy would be adopted soon. With such a fun-loving personality and gentle spirit, Cassondra felt it would only be a matter of time before the perfect family showed up for him.
“He loves hikes, absolutely loves playing with toys, and he’s very smart,” Cassondra said. “More than anything, he deserves a family that’s committed to loving him for the rest of his life and, of course, someone who will play with him just as enthusiastically as he plays by himself!”
Kekoa’s still searching for his forever home, and his caregivers at the shelter are hopeful his wish will come true soon. Until then, they’ll keep showering the sweet boy with love and joining in on his favorite game whenever he’s throwing the toy around.
For a sweet boy on his second stint at the shelter, it’s those little playful moments that truly make a difference.
“It was really sweet to see him in his own little world after everybody left, just playing and making the best of a really hard situation,” Cassondra said.
