You may have noticed the paw prints on my Good Dog soaps page. Well they are no ordinary paw prints. They belonged to Sasha, a beautiful, loyal rottweiler that I knew and loved.

Sasha belonged to my daughter’s best friend and my “in-heart” adopted daughter, Cristina. She got her when she was 16 years old. I have to admit that I was somewhat afraid of her at first because she was a rottweiler and I bought into some of the bad stereotyping but once I got to know her that changed instantly. Cristina always loved animals and did a great job training her but that was easy because Sasha was so smart.

She won first place in her competitive training class and loved going to it. She was the youngest dog there and Cristina was the youngest handler. They soon were inseparable and Sasha always stayed by her side.

Her love and loyalty to Cristina was amazing but it had its downfall. When Cristina went out with friends Sasha would somehow get out and go looking for her. Luckily, since Cris would cut through my yard on her way to where she was going a lot, Sasha would come that way also and someone in my family usually caught her and sent her back home.

One time Sasha got out and chased some joggers and the police got called. When they showed up and tried to catch her Sasha headed back home with police following and ended up on her front lawn. Her family watched in horror as the police got out of their cars and had their guns drawn ready to shoot her. Without a moment of hesitation Cris’s younger brother, 13 at the time, ran outside yelling, “That’s my dog!” and stood in front of her to protect her. The police, realizing she wasn’t a danger, put down their weapons. That was a close call and luckily we didn’t lose her that day.

She went on to live a full life (9 years) having many dog friends like my daughter’s Menace and their other best friend’s dog Chiller. What a group they were and Sasha, always so sweet and loving. So much a pleasure to be around. She also had many human friends and was known as everyone’s dog. Anyone that met her loved her.

She got to help Cris grow up and see her turn into a beautiful young woman. She also got to meet the other loves of Cris’s life. One being her son. As usual Sasha was sweet, loving and protective to the baby.

Sadly, one day last year Cris changed her profile picture on Facebook to an old one of her with Sasha. When someone asked if she still had that dog she wrote the words “I did but she got put down today.” Even now as I remember this moment I get tears in my eyes. Tears for Cris and for everyone whose lives were touched by this beautiful animal. Sasha was very much loved by everyone who knew her and she will be greatly missed.

But life goes on and even for Cris because two days after that her son took his first steps. So even though she is gone and life keeps going, I and so many others will never forget Sasha. How fitting that when I needed a picture for my Good Dog Soap page, my daughter chose Sasha’s paw prints in memory of her. Although the disappearing prints are meant to signify paws getting clean, I like to also think they have a deeper meaning. The meaning that her paws have walked their course on this earth and now they leave no prints as she walks in heaven. Either way she has left her mark on our hearts. She truly was a good dog and we loved her. For you Sasha, thanks for being a part of our lives.