Taka is a Shiba Inu with a terrible story who uses his experiences to give people hope and comfort.
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The nine-year-old dog was seriously injured in a fire in 2018, and after spending some time at the Care More Animal veterinary clinic, he was adopted by one of the veterinary technicians, Crystal Lesley, who completely fell in love with the friendly canine.
Taka had won the hearts of everyone at the clinic, but it was during his treatment that he formed a unique relationship with Lesley, who decided that she would be the one to temporarily care for him.
Eventually, Lesley will enroll Taka in therapy dog training to help him comfort others in similar situations.
Returning home to Lesley was a joyous occasion for Taka, who had recently been through a lot. In the fire, he not only lost his sight, but also his family.
The fire that damaged Taka’s face and left him blind broke out in his family home while he was taking an afternoon nap.
The terrible fire broke out unexpectedly, prompting his family to evacuate without him.
Taka eventually managed to escape on his own and survive the fire, but suffered severe burns and needed immediate medical attention.
Taka’s life was saved thanks to the hard efforts of caring veterinarians at Care More hospital. It took several weeks for him to become strong enough to rejoin the rest of the world, and Taka would never see his family again.
His family, shocked by the severity of his injuries, had doubts about their ability to provide Taka with the specialized care he would require.
They decided it would be best to leave Taka at the hospital. As a result, Taka had to undergo his treatment and rehabilitation alone, and when it was time to leave the hospital, he needed a foster home.
Taka’s family’s difficult decision would ultimately lead him to the happy life he has now, but it must have been heartbreaking for the poor pup to lose both his sight and his family at that time.
Taka was very happy when he finally found a loving new home with his foster mother.
And what was supposed to be a temporary stay while Taka looked for a new forever home quickly became permanent.
Lesley realized she would never be able to part with this sweet, positive, loving pup, so she adopted him and became his official dog mom.
However, living together was not always easy. At first, Taka didn’t get along with his new canine siblings, so Lesley enrolled him in the Dog Training Project.
Taka received the instruction and structure he needed to feel more secure and confident.
Lesley decided to enroll Taka in therapy dog training as he was progressing well in the training and seemed to enjoy it.
Taka, she realized, had the friendly, calming personality that would make him an ideal therapy dog.
And, because of his own experiences, he would be uniquely qualified to connect with burn victims.
Taka has been in that burn building for over a year, and his life has changed forever. He has come a long way since then.
He’s made lifelong friends at Care More Animal Hospital, has a whole new family to call his own, and has just completed his Therapy Dog training. Taka’s Journey, where he gets up to all kinds of charming and heartwarming things, is where you can keep up with him.
It’s remarkable how much can happen in a year, and we’re confident that Taka will continue to improve the lives of many people in the years to come.