Sasha the Samoyed: An incredible transformation of a dog with the help of his community

Kathy and Mark Grabowski call out to Sasha as he takes slow, steady steps towards them. Not far off are four-year-old Monty, another Samoyed, and five-year-old Nacho, a Pomeranian.

“We went out to Chilliwack and picked him up at his foster mom’s,” Kathy explained. “We went and visited him twice. First, I went so that he could get to know me, and then the next day we went back so Sasha could meet Mark as well.”

The Grabowskis said their new fur baby seemed apprehensive on the drive, because he stood in the backseat of the truck all the way home.

“We were a little concerned with him being so flimsy that he was going to fall over on the drive,” Kathy said. “But he came in, and we let our existing dogs out, and, of course, they were extremely excited to see him. His tail was up, I think he was thrilled that there was something that looked like him there.”

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Sasha (standing) with Monty and Nacho.

Mark recalled when Sasha had gone for a checkup at the vet, and like most pups, he wasn’t thrilled about it.

“So, we thought we’d better just haul them all to the car and go for ice cream, and that way he’d see something bad is not going to happen to him every time he goes to the car,” he said, laughing.

The proud parents said Sasha didn’t really understand the whole concept of McDonald’s, or what ice cream was.

“Mark was kind of offering it to him, and Sasha’s got a definite head turn if he doesn’t want something,” Kathy said. “He looks the other way, totally snubs you, and lets you know that’s not something he wants.”

Eventually, Sasha stuck his tongue out and gave the ice cream a lick, and the rest is history.

The Grabowskis believe that having their other Samoyed around has helped Sasha in his healing process and on his road to recovery.

“I think like Kathy said, having somebody that looks like him helps out,” said Mark. “And Monty is super kind; when they play together, he’s very careful with Sasha.”

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Sasha with parents, Mark and Kathy Grabowski.

Mark continued to say that Sasha has made considerable advancements since his first week in his new home—including responding to familiar sounds.

“When I first saw him, he was barely walking around; he was kind of laying around a lot, and we could see in the first week that we had him that he was up and walking around a lot more,” he said. “And then the most interesting part was that we pulled the leash out and all of a sudden he started squealing like crazy.”

The Grabowskis installed a doggy ramp to assist Sasha in getting in and out of the house, and foam blocks in the house to help with his grip. Sasha also learned how to ring the potty bell to alert his owners when he needed to take care of business.

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Sasha spending quality time with his family.

“Literally in the first couple of days, Sasha went over there and rang the bell,” Mark said.

Despite his astronomical strides in success, Sasha had emergency surgery last week due to gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV). GDV occurs when the stomach fills with gas, fluid, or food, causing it to swell.

“Sasha was certainly improving a lot, and we had him out in the yard, and he had been playing with Monty, and he’s not a very good eater,” Kathy said. “He had a good lunch that day; we were super happy about how well he had eaten for a change and how mobile he was. And then later in the afternoon, I noticed what I thought he was doing was taking a poop. I didn’t think too much of it, and kind of went into the house to do a couple of things. Half an hour later, he’s still kind of pacing and trying to go to the bathroom.”

Sasha was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and beat the odds—again.

“Gladys was fantastic,” Kath remarked. “As soon as they heard Sasha was there, they took him in immediately; they were so good. They got him on some IV fluids to try and bolster his abilities, and then he had surgery that night. It was pretty scary.”

Sasha, now back home from surgery, lay sprawled out on the grass as his siblings occasionally sauntered over to play with him. Dad Mark got the leash out in preparation for an evening walk, and Sasha obliged.

Three young children eagerly run over to greet Sasha, as he literally walks off into the sunset with his doting parents.

People who wish to assist Sasha on his continued journey of recovery can call Gladys Pet Hospital at 604-850-2000.

Image: L. Gomes / PML / Sasha recently underwent emergency surgery, and is doing well.

by Laurice Gomes

Sasha the Samoyed: An incredible transformation of a dog with the help of his community

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