Getting picked up from Animal Control and being potentially marked for euthanasia is often a death sentence and it takes a special dog to escape the paws of death. When he was found, he was around 2 months old and had multiple medical conditions and injuries that affected his heart and ability to walk without pain.

Banzai, formerly known as Whirlpool, captured the hearts of those at Animal Control and luckily found his way to Eastside Veterinary Specialists. His determined and loving spirit, wild looks, and goofy personality won over the staff, and they raised enough money for a lifesaving heart surgery for Banzai – without the surgery, he would have died.

When I brought him into our care from Seattle Humane, we wanted to give him a name that echoed his battle cry to survive. That’s where Banzai comes in. In Japanese culture, it means “ten thousand years of life…to hope for longevity, to celebrate a victory, and express happiness.” This was also a saying used by the Japanese military as a war cry.

We are hoping to raise at least enough money to cover surgery and rehabilitation - $11,000. In a perfect world, we would like to raise additional funds to cover at least a year, or more, of medical costs to help ease the financial burden his care has on a future family.

Banzai has already created a community of people who adore him and are invested in seeing him not only survive but thrive in the future.

*Banzai has currently been supported by People for Animal Care and Kindness (P.A.C.K.), a 501(c)(3) rescue organization that raises funds for veterinary care, food, and supplies for animals in need. All donations can go directly through PACK if you’d like to receive a tax credit for your donation. 100% of all funds raised for Banzai through this organization will go towards his medical care. Any additional funds will go toward other animals in dire need. The work this rescue does is vital to helping animals get out of shelters and placed into loving homes who may not have the financial means to cover large medical expenses upfront.* https://www.packgives.org/donate

If you donate through PACK, please put in the comments that this goes towards Banzai's medical care.

**Please feel free to reach out with any questions about his medical conditions. I will be posting videos and additional details in the next few days. He has a second opinion orthopedic consult on March 15th which will give us more details about his surgical and rehabilitation needs. He also has his next Echocardiogram on March 23, which will give us a good post-surgical prognosis**

***Full disclosure, foster fails are always possible and this could be his forever home in the future.***