Sasha’s story could have very easily had a very sad ending, but thanks to the incredible efforts of many dedicated animal lovers, she is safely back with her overjoyed family following a frightening ordeal.
Sasha, the companion of a special needs child, had managed to open the gate to her yard. Her human mom immediately ran after her, calling her to come home. Sasha, being a well-trained girl, turned to come home, when she was struck by a car before her guardian’s eyes, sustaining a badly crushed leg from the car’s impact. Sasha’s family received the devastating news that due to the nature of the injury, surgery to repair the leg would be complex and very expensive. Having just moved into their new home that week, the family was without sufficient resources to treat Sasha’s injuries and they couldn’t bear to see her in pain. Unaware of other options available and unfamiliar with animal rescue groups, the family made the unimaginable decision to have Sasha put out to sleep. They never dreamed that the dog that they considered their “fourth child” would be leaving them so tragically. Nevertheless, Sasha was relinquished to the animal shelter to be euthanized.
Fortunately, an alert shelter vet realized that Sasha’s injury—while painful—was not life-threatening. The shelter reached out GSROC to see if assistance was available. Without our intervention, Sasha would have been euthanized as public shelters do not have resources to treat severe injuries or illnesses.
Despite having very limited funds and a mounting pile of vet bills, GSROC agreed to bring Sasha into the group’s safety net and provide her with the surgery that she needed. We had no idea how very ‘special’ Sasha–we simply saw a dog in desperate need and wanted to help where we could. Sasha quickly revealed what an affectionate girl she was. In spite of her pain, Sasha greeted her caregivers with kisses and tail thumps, never protesting when she was poked and prodded. Dr. William Grant, II performed the complicated surgery, and several hours later, a sedated and splinted Sasha was resting in her hospital cage. Recognizing that Sasha’s nature and manners were truly unique, we contacted the animal shelter to inquire about the prior owners and learned that Sasha was the companion to a family with a special needs child. It was only then that we discovered that Sasha had an important job to do, and that she needed to return to her family.
But first! The gate had to be fixed so that this kind of accident would never happen again! Sasha’s family got to work immediately to prepare for her homecoming. They got her a crate for her required bed rest, a new cushy bed, and of course, the gate lock was replaced with something that Sasha couldn’t open on her own. Finally, on Sunday, April 10, Sasha was reunited with her jubilant family–three delighted children and two grateful adults. Sasha will require 4 weeks of confinement (which will be hard considering how happy she is to be home) and several rechecks before her splint can be removed, but her prognosis for a complete recovery is excellent. This happy ending is only possible thanks to the compassion and generosity of donors who share our love of animals. Without this support network in place, Sasha’s beautiful light would have been extinguished. If it weren’t for our supporters, we could not have provided veterinary care for Sasha, no matter how good our intentions. The credit for this dramatic rescue goes to those who donate of their time, their funds and their hearts—our donors and volunteers. We feel so fulfilled and proud, knowing that Sasha is back where she belongs, watching over her flock of little ones.