Hard At Work Helping Others

Sasha (formerly Karina) made her way to HHDR from Alabama in February 2015, via our rescue partner Save a Stray. She was turned in to animal control after being found running with a leash attached to her collar. After staying with a loving foster for 3 months, while Save a Stray diligently searched for her original family, Sasha traveled north in hopes of a new beginning. She soon caught the eye of one of our dedicated volunteers and joined her forever family.  

We are happy to share a pupdate about this outgoing girl. Sasha loves to meet new people. She runs up to everyone with a big smile on her face, sits down in front of them, and begs them to pet her. Because of Sasha’s friendly disposition, her Mom thought she would make a great therapy dog. They are proud to work with Pet Partners of Central New York as a nationally registered Animal-Assisted Therapy team. Sasha and her Mom visit patients and staff at their local health care center every other week. They also regularly visit local schools, colleges, and universities to participate in stress relief activities for students.  

Sasha and her Mom are so dedicated to their outreach that they offered therapy visits at several nursing homes while vacationing in Florida this past winter. They also recently started a new project helping children to enhance their reading skills. Once a week they go to the local library so students can practice reading aloud to Sasha. For younger kids who can’t quite read yet, Sasha’s Mom reads a story to them and Sasha.  

Sasha had to overcome a terrible fear of riding in the car to do her therapy work. When she was first adopted, she would shake violently, run, and hide whenever a car ride was mentioned. Now when asked if she wants to go to “work,” Sasha runs and jumps in the car without any shaking or nervousness. As long as she has her work bandana or vest on, she feels secure in the car and ready to go.  

Sasha wants everyone to know that it’s hard work being a therapy dog - getting pets and belly rubs all the time can be tiring. Fortunately she is always up to the challenge! When Sasha is not busy working, she enjoys relaxing at home with her family. She likes to herd her canine brother Butter to make sure he stays outside to play with her and doesn’t get more attention than she does. 

We are so proud of Sasha and her Mom for the great work they do together in our community.

We appreciate your support in helping dogs like Sasha find a “new leash on life!”