Cats are supposed to have nine lives, but a very fortunate Shiba Inu proved that dogs sometimes have a knack for beating the odds too.
Kai, a bouncy 2-year-old, was taking his exercise in a rooftop garden on Manhattan's Upper West Side when the lively pup took a wrong turn and fell some 50 feet to a ledge four stories below. (Usually protective fencing encloses the roof, but it had been removed for renovation work.)
Kai's owner, Broadway producer Tracy Aron, told the New York Post: "He just launched himself from the back of the building, thinking there was another roof. We watched him fall, and then heard a thud and his crying."
Yikes. Running to a neighbor's apartment, Aron dialed for help. Police took her poor pooch to the vet, where he spent three nights in intensive care.
The good news: Miraculously, Kai didn't break any bones. He does have a lot of swelling, however, and is on medication to bring it down.
A Shiba Inu looks like a small Akita, but it is actually a very ancient dog breed that also originated in Japan. Bred for hunting, the dogs are spirited and smart. We bet that next time, Kai will look before he leaps!
Rick Schindler has been known to take a wrong turn from time to time.
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