Sherpa’s Page

Sherpa was one of our original dogs from New York. He was found as a stray in the Bronx. Apparently he had been on the streets for a long time; he was filthy, his coat matted with lots of dead fur, and he was quite thin, weighing some 50-odd pounds. The shelter staff named him Sherpa.
This is Sherpa’s original picture from the shelter’s website:

Sherpa was scheduled by the shelter to be neutered two days before we adopted him. He was terribly sick when we arrived; even worse, the shelter had neutered him while he was sick. He was lethargic and dehydrated when we picked him up, and had bad kennel cough. When we got him out of the building, we offered him some bottled water and he drank and drank. Sherpa wanted to go in the car, but was too weak to climb onto the seat, and we had to lift him in.
We immediately drove him from the shelter in the Bronx to our vet in Staten Island. He was so weak he could barely walk down the hall. He shuffled one of his back feet. The doctor was furious that someone had neutered him. The staff immediately gave him IV fluids. I returned for him a few hours later, and he looked a bit better. It took long, careful nursing and small, frequent feedings to help him recover.

Gradually his weight got up to 72 pounds. Sherpa had horrible hips, but enjoyed going for walks. I started him on Cosequin, and his strides improved. Sometimes we would walk 3 miles a day. He was always very polite and never pulled the leash. Neither rain, sleet nor snow would keep us from our walks.

Sherpa was a couch-loving dog. He would growl if another dog was on his couch or dogbed, and wait for the offender to move. If the other dog would not move, he would push and squeeze himself into whatever space was available. The couch was a little too high for him, so we removed the furniture legs.

A healthy Sherpie

About a year later, we moved to Alaska. I was concerned that Sherpa may not like the drive, but he actually did very well. Sleeping in the car was not a problem! He enjoying visiting new areas.

We lived in a small cabin near Clear, Alaska for about 9 months. The dogs seemed to enjoy it. Lots of fenced space outdoors, new trails to explore, and a toasty woodstove at night. There were no neighbors, there was nothing to bark at, and it was generally very quiet.

Sherpie and Mom sleeping in the cabin

Sherpa at the Cabin

We were searching for property to buy, and finally found a place in Fairbanks. The dogs adjusted without any problems, and Sherpa continued to rule the couch.

Sherpa on front porch

All was well for about the next 2 years, but then Sherpa started to experience some strange symptoms. He was straining to poop, and a large bubble appeared on his rear under the skin. The vet drained it, but said it was cancer and referred us to an oncologist. We eventually had an ultrasound, and it was discovered that he had prostate cancer, which is supposed to be rare in neutered males. The prostate was filled with fluid, which was leaking out into his body cavity. We tried to pull the fluid out with an ultrasound-guided needle, but it was thick, and one-third of his prostate had already disintegrated. So at that point I had to put him down.

Sherpa was a magnificent dog, the type who only comes along once in a lifetime. Not one day goes by that I don’t think of him; not one.