Dog Who Survived A Fire Now Working To Help Comfort Burn Victims

Aug 26, 2019 by apost team

There's nothing sadder than the thought of a happy animal experiencing a tragic event and being left abandoned by himself. For one sweet senior dog, a life spent as a happy pet took a horrific turn for the worst after the unimaginable happened.

In the fall of October 2018, 9-year-old Taka was doing the same thing he'd done most nights of his life as an ordinary family pet. He was sleeping where he always slept in his family's Georgia home, in their screened-in porch. But this night was different than all those other nights of Taka's life. This was the night the family home caught on fire.

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Taka's owners fled without releasing Taka from his place on the porch. Taka suffered serious burns to his face, leaving his disfigured and blind. However, he miraculously survived. A kind neighbor found the dog alive and took him to a nearby animal hospital, reports The Dodo. He was alone, injured and frightened. While Taka's family did eventually make their way to see the dog they'd abandoned, they decided that they didn't want to care for a dog with the injuries and limitations that Taka now had.

Thankfully, angels in the community stepped up to ensure that this dog, who'd experienced so much hardship at such an advanced age, would never be alone. Workers at the animal hospital devoted all of their free time to helping Taka recover from his injuries and adapt to his new life. While the weeks and months ahead were difficult at times, Taka was finally able to be adopted by his new forever mom, Crystal Lesley, one of the vet techs who took care of him. 

However, Taka didn't just learn how to fend for himself again. Instead, he went on to receive training as a therapy animal, proving an old dog can absolutely learn new tricks. Today he is a therapy dog at a local burn center, where human burn victims are comforted by a dog who's experienced the same tragedy they have, but whose tail is still always wagging.

“That he could be an encouragement or at least a light at the end of the tunnel for a child or anybody who has gone through what he's gone through is what all of this is about,” said Taka's new mom Crystal to WSAV.

Show this story to anyone who could use a reminder that there's always hope ahead, no matter what's happened.