Over six years ago, Kai the half-golden retriever and half-Siberian husky, was 10 years old. He was happy and playful. But there was one problem: He weighed 173 pounds and urgently needed a foster home.
That’s when Pam Heggie, a 57-year-old nurse and animal fosterer, was contacted by her close friend Brittany, one of the founders of the Misfits of Alberta Animal Rescue, who briefed her on Kai’s situation.
Kai weighed more than many humans, and his obesity had rendered him practically immobile. When Brittany asked Pam if she would be willing to foster Kai, Pam agreed, though, as she later told The Epoch Times, she had no idea what she was getting into. She committed to fostering the “super obese” dog and helping him trim down to a healthy weight.
Kai’s Weight Loss Journey
Describing the fateful day when Kai’s previous owners took him to a veterinary clinic to have him put down, Pam said the vet examined Kai and determined that he had no health issues other than being morbidly obese. Likely touched by Kai’s sunny disposition, the vet asked the owners if they’d consider surrendering him to a rescue instead. Fortunately, they agreed. This is how Kai ended up with Misfits of Alberta Animal Rescue, which is currently temporarily closed.“Kai was a healthy guy,” Pam said. “He really had no physical ailments for being that overweight. They had checked thyroid, checked basic markers for overall health … everything was totally normal.”
Pam picked Kai up from the rescue two days later. It took three people and 20 minutes to get Kai inside her house. Through it all, Kai remained full of vitality and joy, Pam recalled.
“He’s literally the happiest dog you’ve ever met,” she said. “Nobody gets more joy out of life than Kai.”
Pam took advice from the rescue’s veterinarian on the best way to help Kai lose weight. The need was urgent as Kai’s ability to move was incredibly limited. He could not use the stairs and frequently needed to be lifted.
First, Kai was put in a water therapy program so he could burn calories without over-stressing his joints.
After the water therapy, Pam shifted her focus to outdoor activity.
“We went out every single day,” she said. This was no mean feat in the harsh Edmonton winters, but she didn’t miss a day of getting him out for a walk.
As the weather warmed up, he began swimming.
“Once he got a little better, he could use a ramp [to get into the car], which was a game changer because then I could take him places,” Pam said.
She soon ordered some knee braces online, which further helped Kai’s mobility.
Pam said she never fed the dog table food as his previous owners had likely done. Instead, he enjoyed snacks like broccoli and bananas. With time, Kai was able to visit the dog park. At first, the other dog owners treated Pam with contempt, mistakenly believing that she had caused Kai’s obesity. However, it wasn’t long before “he grew a little fan base” that cheered for him on his weight loss journey.
Kai’s transformation was not without its share of fear. With Kai’s poor mobility, Pam was afraid for his health and even his life. “Don’t let him die of a heart attack or something in the middle of the night,” she would think.
Kai lost weight slowly and steadily, with weigh-ins every one to two weeks. In under a year, he dropped to 69 pounds. The vet couldn’t believe his eyes.
A Healthy New Life
“Originally, our plan was to just help him get to a healthy weight and then put him up for adoption,” Pam said. But that didn’t end up happening—for a positive reason.Pam decided to keep Kai.
The playful dog was soon trained to be a therapy animal for students and others in need, an activity he loved until his retirement last year.
“His soul is gentle,” Pam said. “He’s just a very kind animal.”
Pam never believed Kai would see such a marked improvement in his weight; her original goal was simply to get him to a weight that would give him independence. But dropping 100 pounds?
“I just thought it would be impossible,” Pam said.
If there’s anything Kai has proved, it’s that anything is possible with hard work.
When asked why she saved Kai and nursed him back to health, Pam has a simple answer. “Because that’s what we do in a rescue,” she said, adding, “If you met Kai, you would do anything for him.”
He now relishes playing and spending time with his loved ones. “He is a chatty guy,” said Pam. “Just really full of personality.”
Clearly, Kai is living life to the fullest—with much love from his devoted owner.
“He’s just the best dog ever,” Pam said.
