Lasting relationships

If you think you’re a lonely singleton on Valentine’s Day, consider this: Sixty percent of 6,600 pet owners polled by Petplan Pet Insurance said they would rather smooch their furry friends than their two-legged partners.

Monica Shigenaga, owner and founder of Cocojor Emporium & Spaw, understands those results. Her dog, Heir Jordan of Noah’s Ark, died recently, and she doesn’t feel as if she’s lost a pet, but her soulmate.

"Relationships break up, but your pets are always there to love you unconditionally," she said. "They are faithful companions."

Shigenaga married soon after adopting Heir Jordan as a puppy because she thought her husband shared her love of dogs. "It didn’t turn out that way," she said. "After a year and a half of marriage, I went through a divorce, and Jordan stood up to the plate, took over the role of ‘man of the house’ and protected and guided me through almost 13 years."

Dog ownership inspired her to open her shop — named Cocojor for Heir Jordan and another of her dogs, Coco — and create a doggie clothing line that received multiple awards from Dog Fancy magazine. She also helped start Pet Fashion Week in New York and Japan.

When her dogs had skin problems, Shigenaga created her own line of natural Doggie Spaw products, including all-natural shampoo, conditioner and aromatherapy mist.

She said it is difficult to find partners who connect with pets, just as it can be hard to bring stepchildren into blended families. "Pets are a member of the family, and it’s important to meet someone who loves your dog as well," she said.

To make it easier for pet lovers to find like-minded mates, Shigenaga is hosting a speed-dating mixer at Cocojor, with one requirement: Must love dogs.

She hopes to meet a man herself, saying Heir Jordan "has prepared me to find a special someone like him."

Emily Roberson, a 28-year-old Hono­lulu resident, has nixed many relationships because prospective partners could not get along with her dog, Trap Jack. "If they made a bad impression on the dog, I wouldn’t pursue the relationship," she said.

Luckily, Hiro Toiya was able to win over the pit bull.

"Trap Jack is truly a mama’s boy, and as friendly as he is, I think he was a little suspicious at first of me coming into his mama’s territory," said Toiya, 30. "He was never impressed with anything I did and kept an eye on me at all times.

"Trap Jack and I are cool now, but at the end of the day, he’s still a mama’s boy and he and I both know whose side he’ll take."

Roberson also adopted Ahulani, a shelter poi dog, shortly before the couple started dating. Ahulani had serious health problems and was not expected to live for more than two weeks."I really leaned on Hiro during this time," she said.

No one except Roberson believed that Ahulani would survive. But now Ahulani is healthy enough to make three-hour trail runs.

Toiya said he was able to see the depth of Roberson’s strength during the critical period. "I have so much respect for her. Emily has given her a second chance at life, and now Ahulani knows what it feels like to be in a loving home."

Toiya knows where he stands. "Emily and the dogs are a package deal, and she would have never chosen me over the dogs. Lucky for me, I love the dogs," he said.

"If there is any tension between me and Emily, they always know how to break the tension by doing something goofy," he said. "The dogs also have given us the opportunity to practice teamwork and share responsibilities. The dogs have definitely given me a perspective on being responsible for the life of another."

Although the responsibilities may have helped prepare them for parenthood, Toiya says, "Right now we are one happy family, two adults, two dogs."