Sasha's Memorial Page

Here's a picture of my sister and I playing with Sasha just after we got her. She was so small! We picked her up around the beginning of July in 1989. We got her from a home near ours that bred lab puppies. Before this, I didn't like dogs because of my mother's influence from a young age that they were dirty. However, when I saw Sasha, my heart melted and I couldn't help but love her. After that, my view of dogs changed dramtically.

Here's another picture from when we first got Sasha that also includes my father. She was a cute little fuz-ball, but always full of mischief!

This is from May 12, 1991. It was Mother's Day and we were also celebrating my birthday (which is the 13th). Look at how big she got in less than two years! Also, in the picture is my grandmother. She also passed away this year, back in March. Needless to say, 2001 has been a hard year.

This picture was taken after my Spring Ochestra Concert in 1991. It shows Sasha standing against the side of her "pen". This was an area outside we fenced in for her. She always loved to standup against the fence so she could greet anyone who walked by. The last couple years, her arthritis caused her to not do this anymore.

Okay, this picture needs some explaining. This was taken in 1991, I believe, and it shows Sasha inside her "bed" in our garage. This "bed" was built by my father (who's not a carpenter) for Sasha after we got her. It was basically a large box with no top that was made out of some old wood. In time, my father added the door you can see behind her and also a mesh window. She grew attached to it so we kept it for several years until she was simply too big for it.

For my birthday party in 1992, my mother had bought party hats. Well, I was determined to get one on Sasha and I finally did. I can't believe how good this picture came out with her wearing it. Of course, it was also appropriate for her to wear it because her birthday was just 6 days before mine.

This picture was taken in 1993 by my sister without my mother knowing. My mother thinks dogs are dirty so Sasha was not allowed on the furniture or even in the family room. She stayed outside when the weather was good and in the garage the rest of the time.

During the winter, when it would get quite cold in the garage, Sasha would stay in the entry way at the bottom of the cellar stairs. This picture shows her there lying on her blanket in the entry way. Also, you'll notice she's wearing a Syracuse University T-shirt. It was an old shirt and I was bored so I put it on her for a joke. Of course, she decided to yawn in the picture.

I took this in 1999, I believe. I realized Sasha wouldn't be around forever so I thought I'd take as many pictures as I could of her. Of course, I was blessed with two more years of her companionship. The Explorer in the background was my previous vehicle. I traded it in the beginning of Sept. of this year due to a rust problem that was causing expensive repairs. The lights actually weren't on, it was the camera's flash that caused them to light up.

This was taken in June of 2000 after we got home from my High School Graduation Ceremony. In the picture with my is my sister and "old faithful".

Here's another cute picture I took just because I was bored. Those are my father's slippers I put on her front paws.

This picture shows Sasha playing with an old volleyball I gave her. She had a lot of fun batting it around the garage with her paws and chasing after it. Did I mention I didn't work during the summer of 2000?

Sasha was a sweet, loving dog. She was friendly to everyone, even those she didn't know. She enjoyed eating, going for walks, playing fetch, getting petted and just watching us do whatever we had to do. Her favorite words were "cookie", "treat", "chicken" and "walk". She also learned more recently that the bell for the microwave meant she was getting a treat. Of course, this wasn't always so, but she wait in the garage regardless, barking once the bell went off.

Sasha had to be put to sleep on Oct 11, 2001 because she was having trouble breathing. We took her to the vets and they said the glands in her throat were enlarged and no longer could easily flex back and forth. This meant she was literally gasping for air. The only surgery was costly and risky. It wasn't worth it to have her suffer any more. She was put down in the office that day, while I was holding her in my arms. We all felt really bad but knew it was ultimatley the best thing for her.

Sasha was a great dog and will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to anyone whose ever lost a pet. I know how sad it is. However, life goes on and we can always cherish the fond memories of the past.