Moka is a 2-year-old dog on Maui who loves to run and play and is in need of a donated pacemaker. Courtesy photo

Have you ever heard of a 138-pound Rottweiler with a pacemaker? Me neither. However, a pacemaker is an actual possibility for a canine with a heart problem. Who knew?

Here is where it gets personal. At 2 years old and still just a baby, Moka is a 75-pound Catahoula leopard-black lab mix who loves to swim, run a good agility course and visit with his doggie friends.

Rescued from an unwanted litter, he and his sister Meeko, along with baby brother Irish Wolfhound Dylan — only twice Moka’s size — have been the bedrock of Maui’s Sunday Beach doggie meetup. Recently, Moka is getting completely exhausted after any exercise and needs very long naps. Sometimes, he even has seizure-type episodes.

Moka was recently diagnosed with a rare heart condition known as congenital cardiomyopathy with atrial standstill. That’s a long name for a condition where the atrium stops contracting, reducing cardiac output. His first syncopal episode occurred in 2025.

With the help of an amazing Valley Isle Kennel Club, his owners Carla and Geoffrey Wood have located canine cardiac surgeons who are willing to perform the surgery that Moka desperately needs to survive. Without the surgery, Moka will die and more than a few people, doggies and kitties will be devastated.

How can you help, you might ask? Well, as it turns out, pacemakers cannot be recycled in human beings, but they are able to be donated and recycled in dogs with cardiac issues who would depend on it to stay alive.

You can have a used pacemaker donated to the Valley Isle Kennel Club of Maui. We will be more than happy to pick it up. You might even get a canine visit with some licks and tail wagging as a bonus.

So many of these get thrown away, and dogs like Moka die because people don’t know that this option is available. It even saves the dog’s owner the cost of an actual pacemaker, which sometimes means the difference in being able to afford the treatment or not.

If your loved one is going to be cremated, the pacemaker must first be removed. Most often the pacemaker is returned to the family. Wait! Before you dispose of it, you can donate it to us for a dog with a heart condition.

If you currently have a pacemaker, please add it to your will to have your device donated to the Valley Isle Kennel club of Maui for use in a dog. Or, you may have already had a pacemaker returned to you. If you do have one, please contact Susie Saunders at (808) 281-9880. I will arrange for it to be picked up.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to help with the cost of Moka’s surgery, please send a check to the Valley Isle Kennel Club of Maui, P.O. Box 4116, Kahului, HI 96733. With your help we may be able to save Moka’s life. And with continued diligence, we will work to save the lives of more beloved, furry family members.

Susie Saunders is the president of the Valley Isle Kennel Club of Maui, an American Kennel Club affiliated club. For more information, follow “Valley Isle Kennel Club” on Facebook. If you are interested in joining the club or participating in any dog-related activities on Maui, contact Susie at (808) 281-9880.

Susie Saunders