Tokyo's Story

As I was arranging help for Snowy, I learned that their neighbour also had a dog who needed help. That is how I met Tokyo, a Japanese Spitz living in rural Kenya with multiple fractures in his front legs.

When I asked his owners what had happened, they explained that Tokyo would often join groups of male dogs roaming in search of females in heat. Unfortunately, Tokyo was much smaller than the local dogs, so he would repeatedly get beaten up. Sometimes, before one fracture could heal, he would sustain another injury.

I asked his owners why they did not keep him in a kennel to prevent him from roaming and getting into fights. They told me he was too noisy. Still, I wanted to see what could be done to help him.

I agreed to foot Tokyo’s veterinary bill on the condition that his owners built him a secure kennel. My plan was to have a vet treat his legs and put on casts, after which Tokyo would need to stay in the kennel with minimal movement for 30 to 60 days to give his legs a chance to heal.

I got a vet to examine him, and Tokyo was taken to the clinic for a week for further assessment and treatment. Unfortunately, the fractures had already developed calluses and were healing in the wrong positions. The only way to correct them was through orthopedic surgery, which was far too expensive for me to afford out of my own pocket.

During his stay at the clinic, we also decided to have Tokyo neutered. Since his roaming and repeated fights appeared to be linked to his search for females, we hoped this would reduce his urge to roam and help prevent further injuries.

When Tokyo returned home, however, the kennel his owners had built could not contain him. He could easily jump over it and kept getting out to run around. Before the first 30 days were over, his casts had become dirty and eventually came off.

Thankfully, Tokyo recovered well from the neutering procedure, and his owners later reported that he was no longer getting into fights or sustaining further fractures. However, his leg injuries remained unresolved.

Tokyo’s story reflects the reality of our work at Cappie Pet Care. We do what we can with the limited resources available to us, often paying for veterinary care out of our own pockets. But helping an animal sometimes requires more than treatment alone. Safe containment and responsible ownership are just as important in preventing avoidable suffering.

We hope to do more for animals like Tokyo. You can support our work by purchasing our handcrafted leather dog collars or sharing our stories with others. Every purchase and every share helps us reach more people and raises awareness of the animals who need our help.

Together, we can give more animals a chance at happier, healthier lives.