First, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, there are plenty of needy animals up for adoption in the United States. Many have horrific backstories, from neglect to severe abuse. However, as anyone who has fallen in love knows, romances can be borderless. And once Cupid hits, you do what it takes to be together.
For Virginia Dolen, a Richmond District resident and product marketing manager, that meant transporting a dog who had suffered gashed legs and a prolapsed uterus from Thailand to San Francisco.
It was time. Dolen’s rescue dog of 18 years had died about 18 months before. “I was very sad obviously, it was very difficult to go through that,” she says. “I decided to take some time after her passing to wait for the right moment when I thought I was ready mentally to love and support another dog.”
And then, bam.
Dolen discovered an Instagram account run by Niall Harbison. The Irish-born Harbison lives in Thailand and is on a mission to save 10,000 dogs every month. With millions of followers around the world, he documents the tragic circumstances of the country’s countless sick and injured animals.
Among them, Coco Chanel, a creme colored canine with a chapeaux of dyed black fur.
“I saw her story; how she was brutally attacked, and [I] immediately felt very empathetic and compassionate about what she had gone through,” said Dolen. “Her legs were slashed in four to six places; they looked almost severed. The photos of her condition were gut-wrenching.”
Out of all the dogs in the world, Dolen says Coco stood out to her. She was motivated to do everything it took to bring Coco to her home in San Francisco.
The feat proved to be neither easy nor fast.
Harbison’s team took Coco to the local veterinarian for medical care and waited until she could heal enough to travel. They then arranged for a flight volunteer, an American family, who would remain with Coco during the long journey. The family drove Coco from the village to Bangkok, then flew with her to Los Angeles, with a layover in Japan along the way.
“The timing was challenging because Coco arrived during the height of the fires in Los Angeles,” said Dolen. “I had to drive to L.A. to pick her up, arriving just as the fires started, which made the whole experience quite scary. The air quality was terrible. Once we got her, we quickly moved her to Santa Barbara for a few days.”
In total, the 7,000-mile trip took 10 days. The affinity, however, was instantaneous.
“When I first saw Coco, I was so excited and grateful,” said Dolen. “She didn’t seem stressed after all that travel. That was my biggest fear. But she seemed curious and quickly made herself at home.”
Virgina Dolen immediately felt very empathetic and compassionate about what Coco had been through.
Not that there wasn’t an adjustment period. Once in Dolen’s home, Coco was hesitant about her new surroundings. She began sleeping only by the door, then slowly inched closer to the bed and couch. Now, just weeks later, Coco rests peacefully with Dolen.
“Many people have asked why I chose to adopt from Thailand when there are so many dogs in need here in the U.S., especially considering the costs involved,” says Dolen, explaining that the process was over a thousand dollars. “My response is always about the connection I felt with Coco. Her temperament was exactly what I needed for life in San Francisco — a dog who would enjoy walks but wasn’t too high energy. She’s 2½ years old, a mix of Basenji and Shepherd, and excellent with children, as I saw when she met my friends’ kids in L.A.”
There is a spiritual element to this tale, too.
“Coco’s original name was ‘boiled egg,'” says Dolen. “I don’t know why, but that’s what the ladies who took care of her called her. Niall Harbison renamed her Coco Chanel, possibly inspired by the hair dye on her head resembling a little hat. But years before, a spiritual medium connected me with my late father, and he predicted that I’d get a ‘designer dog.’”
Odd, thought Dolen at the time, because she wasn’t interested in purebreds.
“Then I realized she was literally named after a designer,” says Dolen. “The most famous of them all: Coco Chanel!”
Today Virginia Dolen and Coco Chanel are a bonded pair.
“I’m excited to share the hiking and camping experiences here with Coco,” Dolen says. “She’s becoming my partner in crime for exploring this beautiful city.”
Dolen has also created an Instagram page for Coco — ginnyandkoko (Dolen gave Coco a new name, Dakota, a.k.a. Koko) — and in just one week the account has grown to almost 17,000 followers. While Dolen is a little taken aback by the attention, she understands. Coco is not only special and sweet, but her past was riddled with vile mistreatment and pain. Now she is safe and deeply adored. People need hope; to know that there is good in the world.
Amidst so much social strife and political conflict, including in San Francisco, a true love story gives hope to all.
