Taka has seriously burned about three and a half years ago when he narrowly escaped a house fire while trapped inside. His life was saved by the staff at Care More Animal Hospital in Martinez, Georgia. Due to the severity of his wounds, his family chose to turn him over to the veterinary clinic so they could assist him in adjusting to his new existence.
Taka’s life has changed drastically from how it was before the fire. He has absolutely no depth perception and very poor vision, making movement challenging for him. His burns have healed, but because they were so serious, the fur never grew back in certain areas. Change can be frightening for him after everything he’s been through, so his family adheres to a rigorous pattern to keep him feeling safe and at ease.
“After he was burned, he had a very long recovery,” Crystal Lesley, a staff member at Care More Animal Hospital and Taka’s mom, told The Dodo. “It was in stages. The first part took about 4 to 6 weeks. After that, he still had two places that wouldn’t heal, so the JMS Burn Center reached out to me and asked to help him.”
But none of that has made him stop moving.
“[He] is the strongest, bravest little fighter you will ever meet,” Lesley said. “He is an extremely feisty dog and nothing gets him down. He loves life!”
Lesley decided that people should meet Taka and hear his story once he recovered. She started taking him to a nearby burn center to visit and console all of the patients after having him trained as a therapy dog. He really adored it, as did every patient he encountered who understood exactly what he had gone through.
The people in the Burn unit LOVE Taka,” Lesley said. “They want to pet him and get his picture and hear all about his story. He definitely brightens their day … Taka is the hero of a new coloring book that was made and put out by the burn center, so he got to go around and help [hand] them out to the children. He seemed to love it.”
Taka has endured a great deal, yet he never lets it get to him. His family continues to be in awe of him every day.
“When you have a bad day or start feeling bad about your life, look at Taka,” Lesley said. “He is the epitome of strength … He has changed my life greatly. He is my inspiration.”
