Kenji
Kenji has been adopted! –
At just 5 yrs old Kenji had already had 2 different homes. Being rehomed repeatedly is not uncommon for a Shiba that doesn’t necessarily get along with other dogs or kids, and is also a resource guarder. Kenji was all too familiar with what it feels like to lose a family and have to transition to a new home. We wanted to be sure that Kenji would never have to go through that again. Our fingers crossed, we searched our adoption waitlist for the right person to be his foster-to-adopt, and final home!
Tracy and family recently lost her Shiba, Saki, of 10 years. Tracy applied to be added to our adoption waitlist and hoped for an older (as in not a crazy puppy) male to bring some Shibatude back into their lives. Tracy’s family was a Shiba rescuer’s dream; they’d been Shiba-broken, had no other pets, no young kids, and live in a calm and stable home. That’s exactly what Kenji needed! Now they just had to meet and fall in love with him.
Kenji wasted no time getting Tracy, her husband Craig, her son Connor, and daughter Victoria to succumb to his Shiba spell and fall hard. They were an instant family. However, his official adoption would not come so quickly. We first needed to address a few medical needs beyond the standard wellness visit. Kenji hadn’t been neutered yet. That happened and he healed quickly. In the meantime, we noticed what appeared to be some orthopedic issues that lead to a TPLO surgery. Kenji’s ACL was torn, and his knee was a mess. The recovery after surgery was neither quick nor easy. It took a lot of diligence and dedication to keep this energetic Shiba properly rested, but he finally recuperated.
According to the vet, Kenji will probably need his other knee repaired at some point in his life (about $4k at today’s prices). We immediately shared this prognosis with Tracy’s family, but they didn’t even flinch. Kenji became a part of their family the moment they met. And this family will not be broken; they stand strong! They accept Kenji for who he is and are committed; come what may. Now that’s the kind of forever home that all dogs deserve but don’t always get, at least not the first time. Kenji got lucky; he is finally home. Congrats to Tracy, Craig, Connor, Victoria, and Kenji!