The adventures of Kua

Travel in Ghana is enough of a hassle when you're only in charge of yourself. Traveling with a mildly trained dog on a packed tro in a country full of dog fearing people makes for a whole new adventure.

When Cheri, Daria, Travis and I were leaving the Eastern Region on our way to Kumasi, Kua was a welcome but unruly guest. For the majority of the 4 hour ride, Kua was pacing back and forth across my lap. She made a few lunges for the window and scared countless Ghanaians while checking out her new surroundings.

While at the Kumasi Sub Office, Kua shredded two screen doors and incessantly chased the two rabbits that graze in the front lawn. Luckily IST (in service training) was within a mile of the KSO so aside from the standard remarks, travel was easy enough.

Kua came along for the first day of training and talked(can't describe exactly what it sounds like but she talks). The following three days required what my friend Gray calls "the zen of dog ownership." I left Kua at the hostel and she had free reign outside. She ran wild and was ready and waiting upon our return. In exchange, she got the scraps of all 30 meals (goat bones included).

Following IST, Jon was kind enough to watch over Kua. Kua and Pedro (Jon's dog) are old friends from our training days. Unfortunately, Pedro is only one of 5 male dogs in close proximity to Jon's house. After a night sleeping on the cement floor, I had the joy of fighting off 5 riled up dogs while waiting for a tro back to Bormase. Jon was a huge help in that regard!!

Last night, Jon was on his way back to Kumasi from his site (about 45 minutes) when Kua jumped ship and ran away. She jumped out at the stop next to our IST site. Picturing a flattened Kua in my mind, I ran from the KSO to the hostel (maybe a mile) in my flip flops. If the adrenaline of a runaway dog can get me to run that far, I can completely believe stories about mothers lifting cars to save a trapped child.

Breathless and drenched in sweat, I found Kua running around the lawn she'd claimed as her own during IST. As usual, she was excited enough to pee on my feet while greeting me.

This morning, Kua, Jon and I went to the vet. The two room building looked very official for Ghana but was staffed by vets with visible blood stains on their white coats. I had the joy of holding Kua for her sedative, for the shaving of her stomach and as she writhed in pain during the shots of local anaesthetic. Jon and I left for an hour and returned to find Kua laying on the tile floor in a drug induced torpor. I carried Kua in a cardboard box from the vet to the tro and have had maybe thirty minutes to relax following the ordeal. She has worked her way out of the box but is very out of it. I'll administer antibiotic injections tomorrow and Monday and should be ready to brave the 4 hour ride home on Tuesday.

Love to all!!