Yesterday was a sad day for us, as we had to say goodbye to our dog, Sasha.
We got Sasha as a puppy, when Alyssa was about 8 months old. So Sasha was nearly 15 years old, older than Darcie. Cameron vaguely remembers when we got her. She was a purebred Siberian Husky; we picked her out of her litter & got her when she was just 6 weeks old. One of the most striking things about her was her piercing blue eyes. (By the time she was an adult, the blue had faded to a lighter blue.) In recent years, her hearing had faded until it was almost completely gone. Her hips also gave her problems at times, but she was otherwise fairly healthy, considering her age.Memories of Sasha include......
- Harnessing her to the kids' sled & getting her to pull them around the yard - the kids were still pretty young then.
- I used to exercise her while on my bike, until the day that she cut a corner too quickly, and down I went! A few scrapes later, and we stuck to walks on foot. Later, I would take her to the track at the Junior High, and she did 3 miles a day with me for a while. Thirsty, I would cup my hands for her with water from the drinking fountain there.
- Once, a stray cat made the mistake of jumping onto her doghouse. The doghouse had a metal roof, which sent the cat sliding into the kennel. Although we were there right away, the cat did not survive.
- Sasha had also defended the home from oh-so-dangerous rabbits and raccoons. Sasha won in both those situations.
- Being a husky, she loved snow and cold weather. When summer heat hit, she almost visually wilted.
One of the most interesting things about Sasha is that she very rarely barked. She would howl her multi-toned greetings to us. Even Emma learned this, and when we ask her, "What does Sasha say?" Emma howls. She didn't understand at first, that not all dogs howl. Sasha saved barking for immediate threats. We learned very early, that if Sasha barks, we need to check and see why RIGHT away.
Sasha was always an outdoor dog, but didn't get as much energy released as she should. As is typical for huskies, for most of her life, leaving a gate open meant she would take off and roam. We kept hot dogs in the fridge handy to lure her back. And although she was a great guard dog against other animals, when it came to people, she liked almost everyone (with some definite exceptions!). She was always good with our kids, even being patient with little Em, who loved to hand her treats -- not always letting the treat go when Sasha took it!
We've known for some time now that at her advanced age, she didn't have much time left with us. So yesterday, when I found her not breathing, I knew this was the end. It saddens me that Brandon is not here, but we knew when he left for Jamaica, that she probably wouldn't make it until he returned. We decided to bury her in the backyard, under the big walnut tree on the west side. We had some quiet, sad moments as we said our last goodbyes. Pets come into our lives for just a few short years, and become like members of the family. Emma will probably not remember her, but our other kids will not forget her.
We'd like to find a nice perennial flower to plant at her grave.
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