K9 Kota Challenge

Recently I was reading an article about a police dog ,named K9 Kota. I must say I was impressed with his love for his handler. After reading the article, I found myself thinking, ” Wow, a dog did all of that for his handler and I’m not sure I have a friend who would have done that for me!” You see, Kota and his police handler were answering a radio call for a burglary when the incident that changed everything happened.
Upon arriving at the house, the officers were trying to locate and apprehend one of the burglars, while Kota sought out and attempted to subdue a second burglar who had hidden himself in an attic space. No one is sure what happened….but as Kota and the burglar struggled, Kota fell through the ceiling and sustained massive injuries to his leg, including broken bones. In the meantime, the officers were still trying to get the first burglar under control on the second floor of the house. They knew nothing of Kota’s injuries. They had heard a crash and a yelp, but they were not in a position to help him………

Kota, severely injured, knew his handler was still up there, scuffling with the bad guy. Without thought of himself, his pain, his injury or suffering, Kota climbed each step to make sure she was okay.
Such a selfless act of Valor……

The world today could learn so much from Kota and the traits he possesses. Loyal, concerned, devoted and selfless are just a few words that come to my mind…….Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all cared for and respected one another with such intensity? Can you imagine how peaceful the world would be if we always put others before ourselves?
There is an old expression, ” the world has gone to the dogs”…..My thought is this….if all the dogs were like Kota, that would be a dynamic statement to define the society we have become! Sadly though, I don’t think that old adage is meant in a positive way…………….
You know, people everywhere are taking challenges from Ice Bucket Dumping to Hot Dog Consumption to raise money for very worthwhile causes. I too, have a challenge that I would like to present, but not for any cause, except for the cause of kindness. We will call it the ” Kota Challenge”.
For 24 hours, replace negativity with positivity. Exchange hate for love. Kindness instead of cruelty. Understanding for judgment. Selfless instead of selfish. Patience instead of condemnation.

Jesus Himself set the standard for how we should live and how we should treat other people. Look at this :
• Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you
• Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
• Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
• 1 Peter 3 8-12 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

• Philippians 2-4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Lastly, my personal favorite:
Romans 12: 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Imagine that….OUTDOING one another with kindness……Wow.
That’s the theme for our Kota Challenge. Outdoing one another with kindness……….That is my challenge to each of you.

One last thing, good deeds don’t always go unnoticed. Kota is up for an award. The Hero Dog Award. Please consider going to this website and casting your vote for him..

http://www.herodogawards.org/vote

This is a photo of K9 Kota, used by permission from his handler. You can follow him and his healing progress on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/k9kota

Don’t forget to take the Kota Challenge!