Sasha specializes in socializing, seeing smiles

A special visit to Avera Mother Joseph Manor by Sasha, a certified therapy dog who loves to socialize, resulted in plenty of smiles by the residents, along with recalling memories of their own pets as they touched and petted the Samoyed’s thick, fluffy, white fur.

Sasha, who turns 8 on July 5, and her owner and work partner, David Kettering of St. Paul, Minn., visited Aberdeen recently. They also presented a program at the District II meeting led by Avera St. Luke’s Auxiliary. The volunteer pair spends around 15 hours each week visiting patients and their families in the Twin Cities , bringing comfort and care. They are also available when disaster strikes, trained to help with crisis situations.

“When her bandana goes on, it’s her sign she is working,” Kettering said. Sasha loves treats, too, and at 68 pounds is a bit on the hefty side. That only adds to her charm. She even has three of her own “baseball” cards, with her photo on the front and information on the back, just like a major leaguer. “Sasha firmly believes that people are here to please her, rather than she is to please people,” says one. Another reads “Sasha greets everyone with a smile and receives many smiles in return. Besides, Sasha thinks she is a person.”