Ninjo was found wandering and confused through the streets of Pererenan. Other dogs were attacking him while people shoo’ed away this haggard and helpless creature. 

 

He was in enormous pain and could barely walk anymore. With a lot of patience and food, we finally managed to capture him. Ninjo was extremely sick and we were not sure whether he could survive. Furthermore, he was infected with the distemper virus which is extremely deadly as it attacks and weakens the nervous system.

 

We were ready to fight alongside him and that is how we came up with his name: Ninjo, derived from Ninja the Fighter. And boy did he fight! After more than two months in the hospital, Ninjo was stable and could be brought home. Two more years of treatment for his skin problem followed. 

 

The diseases did have an impact on his vitality though. His mind was young, but his body could not keep up. However none of that bothered him, he would instead take the daily walks more leisurely than the rest of the pack. 

 

The distemper virus has also left a mark as nerve damage caused uncontrolled twitching in individual muscles - comparable to Parkinson’s disease in humans. We were able to reduce its effects with exercise, physiotherapy and a healthy diet. Keeping up with a strict care routine is important as symptoms can get worse as the dog becomes older.

 

Ninjo died in March 2018, over 3 years after his rescue and a great life full of love and adventure. He was suffering from a brain tumor and the heartbreaking decision to save him from this pain and incurable cancer was unavoidable. In memory of Ninjo!