Johnny the Pit Bull was rescued from a dogfight in Chicago. Discovered chained in a repeat offender’s basement with nine other dogs, he was nervous and reserved when he first entered Clara and Andrew “Roo” Yori’s home.
Fortunately, the couple has experience in rehabilitating battle dogs, having fostered and adopted many before Johnny, including Hector, one of 51 Pit Bulls seized from Michael Vick’s property in 2007.
Safe but scared
Yoris raised Johnny through Safe Humane Chicago’s Court Dog program. Being accompanied by the couple’s other rescue dogs gave Johnny confidence, so they decided to adopt him permanently.
But getting him to adjust to life as a dear companion also comes with challenges. While we’ll never know everything Johnny went through, his early behavior suggests he spent little time outside of his basement prison. For example, he is very afraid of stairs in the family.
A K9 Ninja Warrior Is Born
Like all rescue dogs, positive training and clear direction from people helped Johnny overcome past traumas. Roo, aka K9 Ninja, has appeared in the past six seasons of American Ninja Warrior. While working with Johhny, he decided to create a dog version of the show’s obstacle course.
Attracting him with food and toy rewards, Roo teaches Johnny to jump from step to step, Troops crawl underneath cargo nets, swaddles on ropes to ride a doggy zipline, and even expands the picture. Great wall before hitting yourself K9 Ninja Warrior whistle.
Quite remarkable for a dog that used to be afraid of stairs! Johnny now spends his days napping, snuggling under covers with humans and asking them to throw his toys at every available opportunity. He also enjoys sitting on the dining room chair as a person, especially on meatloaf nights.
Mouse stunts
As for Roo Yori, he’s more than just a brilliant athlete and a dog dad. He uses his status as a ninja warrior to raise awareness (and fund) for other homeless and stigmatized pups like Johnny.
His charity, Wallace the Pitbull Foundationhelp improve the lives of dogs and their caregivers. From Roo’s time onwards American Ninja WarriorThe foundation has raised more than $78,000 for rescue, adoption, and education initiatives.
With the premiere of American Ninja Warrior With season 14 (Roo’s seventh consecutive season on the show) coming up, he’s hoping to hit the $100,000 mark for the Wallace the Pitbull Foundation. You can help him achieve this goal by making a donation or commitment to Dog Ninja Fundraising.
For every donation/pledge to Ninja for Dogs, Roo will also throw Johnny’s toys. So help this good boy and make your contribution to a great cause today!
