Learning to Love Snow

I love all animals. Growing up in a family of six, we always had pets. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits - you name it! As I got older, I always wanted a dog but couldn't have one due to renting an apartment. When I finally bought my first house, I had two priorities: getting a dog and installing a gas grill for the backyard.

One month after moving in, I bought my first dog - a Siberian husky named Sasha. Over time, I discovered Sasha wanted to be a mother. She would gather her toys on the bed and cry by them. I didn't understand what she was doing until I called the breeder in Kentucky who sold her to me. She explained it was nesting behavior.

I decided to let Sasha become a mother. Knowing that the average litter for a husky is 5-7 puppies, I figured it would be easy to find homes for them among friends and family. I also decided to keep one puppy for myself.

I tried to mate Sasha with a male husky near my parents' house, but didn't have enough time to make it happen over a weekend. The breeder suggested getting another puppy that could bond with her. After a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, Sasha met her soulmate Mishka! A year later, Mishka accomplished his task of creating babies - six adorable puppies!

They were so cute and fun until week four when they opened their eyes and learned how to climb, chew, and destroy everything. I had to replace $3000 worth of living room furniture. My socks became useless unless you consider them designed for perfect ventilation.

After placing all the puppies in great homes, I was finally back to normal, minus a living room. I had Sasha, Mishka, and their baby Nakita left. Later that year, Sasha went into heat again. I knew I'd have to keep them separated during this phase. Unfortunately, one day when I arrived home from work, I needed to let them out for a restroom break. I opened up Mishka and Nakita's crates first, then went upstairs to Sasha's room. As soon as I opened the door, she rushed downstairs. Ten seconds later, I saw what I feared - two dogs stuck together! December 5th, another litter. This time there were five puppies. I was able to find great homes for all four. The fifth one? That's my biggest one, Fatz. He's afraid of everything yet super playful and comfy to rest your head on!

Sasha passed away about five years ago. We were devastated. My first dog, my first loss of a best friend. It was just me and the three from then on.

After my mom's health declined, I decided to sell my Pittsburgh house and move back home to spend time with family. The dogs were thrilled. A new adventure. While living in Ohio, my aunt had one of the siblings named Chronos. He looked just like Nakita. She explained that she felt like she wasn't giving him the life he deserved, so we both decided it would be best for him to live with me to be with family. This was in the middle of summer 2023. The dog was over the moon. Later on January 2024, the unfortunate happened. I woke up to let the dogs out into the backyard and noticed Chronos was slower and breathing oddly. Instead of guessing, I took him to an animal hospital. Sadly, the scans showed his trachea burst, causing severe compression on his heart and lungs. Nothing could be done to yield a quality life, so we had to say goodbye. I returned home with just a harness and leash. This was devastating not only for me but for the three dogs who missed him for the next three weeks.

I realized Chronos was a key component to their lives. On week four, I decided to search for a rescue husky. That's when I came upon Beauty, a tiny husky with tan and white fur and blue and hazel eyes. Three hours later from a trip to Columbus Ohio, we're now one big happy family. I renamed her Leya after a friend and I spent the night before playing Star Wars Battlefront 2. He begged me to name her after something "Star Wars." Leya seemed appropriate. She's tiny but ridiculously smart. She knows how to spring off walls to scale areas where she otherwise couldn't jump. She even knows how to roll down car windows when I have to run into the grocery store!

As I watch them play every day, I'm very grateful for one important thing they've taught me: don't worry about yesterday, quit worrying about tomorrow. Just live now and make the very best of it. It's all you've got.