Photo credit: J. Adrian Wylie
Stomping, clapping, and chanting—“Kona, Kona, Kona!”—thundered from the two front rows of the bleachers. The family, friends, and students of fifth-grade teacher Kaylee Harmon’s eight-year-old Shepherd mix cheered on the winner out of five canine contenders in Saline Community Fair’s Fifth Annual Dog of the Year Contest. Kona took home a first-place blue ribbon, plaque, and $150 gift card from Saline’s Tractor Supply Co.
Harmon adopted Kona from the Humane Society of Huron Valley’s Love Train when she was just a puppy. Obedience classes followed, and when Kona was two, she became a certified therapy dog through the national Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Now Kona accompanies Harmon to her classroom at Heritage Elementary twice a week.
“I felt Kona’s personality, and the way she was with people, and my family, that there was something very special about her,” says Harmon. “I wanted her to be in my classroom and share her with everyone else. She helped me through difficult times, and she helps my kids, too. She sits with kids to read, or when they’re taking a test. A lot of them want to walk her at recess. … Therapy work came naturally to her. She’s a sweet, loving dog.”
The Harmon family moved to Mississippi for a few years when Harmon and her twin sister, Ashlee, were in first grade, but returned to Saline when the twins were in fourth grade. (Ashlee Harmon Howes now works for Saline Area Schools, and their brother Josh is at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.) “Our fourth-grade teacher took me and Ashlee under her wing,” she recalls, smiling. “I’m fortunate to be a coworker of my fourth-grade teacher.”
Kona loves to visit Mill Pond’s dog park, walk at Colony Park in their Northview subdivision, and watch passersby while Harmon and her fiancé, Andrew Gast, dine outdoors at Dan’s Downtown Tavern. Harmon says Kona can be found at any event geared toward kids.
“The Saline Rec Center loves having Kona at their events, notably when Santa and the Easter Bunny visit. She’s heavily involved in the community. I can’t go anywhere without someone recognizing Kona before me!” Harmon exclaims. “I take her to every parade Saline has: Christmas, Memorial Day, Fourth of July.”
Harmon’s students haven’t yet selected the combined Halloween costume theme for her and Kona, but last year’s was Lilo and Stitch. “We’ve done Wonder Woman, Baby Yoda, Beauty and the Beast, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and a Starbucks worker and Pup Cup.” She adds that Kona’s annual yearbook photo is “a huge, hot commodity” for her students. “We put it in the yearbook, so all the kids can see she attends school at Heritage.”
Kona has many human and dog friends, but Gast’s dog Murphy is her best canine companion. The two will be part of Harmon and Gast’s wedding in December.