Ninja
Ninja (Pat C Workable)
2005 - 2011
Back in May 2009 my husband Brendan and I adopted Pat C Workable (we named him Ninja), a black grey from FL.
I'm so sad to tell you that just 2 short years later we have had to let him go. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Due to the rapid progression of his tumor, we decided to let him be at peace rather than prolong his suffering because we weren't ready to let go.
We threw him a party. We had friends and dog-friends over, and a bonfire until well into the night. Ninja loves bonfires. He didn't want to come in. We took a blanket out for him and he was content to sleep there until 3:30am - until we couldn't be awake minding the fire any longer!
I'd love to tell you a little bit about Ninja, if you don't mind hearing his story: This is Ninja (Pat C Workable). He was the sweetest, kindest dog we could have ever asked for. In his evaluation, it said he was small animal friendly. That was such an understatement! We have an entire herd of animals at our house - 2 horses, 2 cats, and a bunny - and Ninja was sweet to them all!
Our Siamese would sit on the ottoman in the living room and wait for Ninja to walk by. When he did, Meiko the cat would swat at his tail and smack him on the rump. Ninja would just look at him and if he could roll his eyes, I'm sure he would have. Ninja would also spread out on the floor and Meiko would come into the room, walk up to Ninja's face, and meow loudly at him. Ninja would just get up and move to another part of the room. He absolutely deferred to the cat. Very funny to watch. The cat seemed to be amused that he could move this big black dog.
Our other cat is much more passive. She would tolerate Ninja but not really interact with him. If he was sleeping she'd walk up and sniff him, but otherwise Cassie couldn't really be bothered. But yesterday morning, Cassie (who would normally seek out a lap instead of the dog) wandered over to where Ninja was sleeping on the carpet, and curled up next to him to also catch a nap.
We also have a bunny named Penelope. Her cage and Ninja's crate were next to one another and they were just fine with each other. While we never let both the bunny and Ninja loose in the room together, we would let her stretch her legs if he was in his crate. He'd just curl up in his crate, and she'd hop over and give him a sniff through the bars. He wouldn't even lift his head. When we rearranged our living room, his crate and her cage were no longer near one another, but often during the day he'd go over and lie down next to her to take a nap anyways.
Another great trait that Ninja had was his patience and love for all people. My husband and I both work for a non-profit agency that supports individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. I had been working overnights for a while, and sometimes would take Ninja with me. When it was time to get the ladies up in the morning and ready for their day, I would ask him to stay on his bed out in the open in the living room, and even with 6 ladies and 3 staff in the morning, he wouldn't move off the bed until I was done. I would be in another room (helping someone out of bed, into the washroom to shower, then assist with dressing) for about 45 minutes to an hour before coming back, and he would just wait there. When I said it was okay, he'd come over and say good morning to the gals and get his pets and loving. The wheelchairs didn't intimidate him; he would just walk over and lean next to them close enough to get a scratch.
He also had the opportunity to go with my husband to his former work (before his transition to the non-profit). Brendan's family owned a feed store, and Ninja would get to go to the store all day. There he had 3 or 4 dogs to play with, as well interact with many other people and dogs who came in to shop. He was especially fond of my mother-in-law's rescued Cane Corso puppy. As she got older, she would share toys and bones and treats with her Uncle Ninja.
In the last few months around our house Ninja had a lot of freedom. He was no longer crated at night, and we'd walk out together to the barn to take care of the horses. I'm pretty sure he would understand full sentences. I'd just look at him and tell him things like "Can you go wait in the tack room?" or "Why don't you go check out the corral?" and he would head in the direction I suggested.
I really think we ended up with the best greyhound on the face of the earth. I'm devastated that his life was cut short to cancer. We were blessed to have him in our lives and I can't express how much we'll miss him.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to share our lives with this great boy!
Sincerely,
Megan and Brendan Stapley