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Sasha's lap dog legacy: Puppy love unleashed
Photo
Joni Vernars, seated, and Lisa Nassief show a photo of Sasha, Vernar’s former pet and therapy dog. William D. Lewis |The Vindicator
By Sean Barron
BOARDMAN
During her 12 years of life, Sasha inspired much happiness and made a difference to those in her company, whether they were family, friends or people who were ill and struggling.
“She was a therapy dog,” Joni L. Vernars of Marina del Rey, Calif., said about the Maltese dog she adopted 12 years ago. “She helped a lot of people feel better.”
Her beloved pet died last May, however, but Vernars refused to be overcome with grief or settle for living with mere memories. Instead, she and longtime friend Lisa Nassief teamed up to continue reaching out to others in that spirit.
To that end, last November they launched www.SashaHelps.com, a website that raises funds for charities that rescue and provide shelter to animals; rescue organizations that protect abused, abandoned and neglected animals; and those that train assistance animals for people with special needs.
Vernars spoke recently from the Angeline Drive home of her mother, Beverly Vernars, about Sasha’s having been a therapy dog for nine years, much of which was spent at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Specifically, the animal had visited people awaiting heart transplants and others being monitored for seizures, as well as those with epilepsy and mental challenges, Vernars noted.
Early in its life, the dog had severe separation anxiety, recalled Vernars, a self-employed legal recruiter. Because she worked from home, she was the logical choice for Sasha, which she got from a friend when the animal was 7 months old, Vernars continued.
A significant portion of Sasha’s training was learning obedience skills and adjusting to certain adverse conditions. For example, she had to get used to loud, sudden noises typical in hospital and nursing-home settings, Vernars explained.
“She [also] was very playful and liked most adults as long as she got her way,” Vernars said with laughter.
When they met in first grade at St. Dominic School in Youngstown, Nassief and Vernars became close friends. After graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School, the two went their separate ways but always remained in touch.
Vernars wanted to honor her dog, so Nassief, of Canfield, was more than happy to partner with her on the website, explained Nassief, a registered nurse who retired after 27 years with the Cleveland Clinic.
“We’ve got a long way to go. We have to get these charities on board,” said Nassief, who has two dogs ages 13 and 15.
The two women also wish to help many small animal organizations that are struggling, have limited budgets and can’t afford to advertise, Nassief noted.
Those interested in making donations should visit www.SashaHelps.com and are asked to specify which charity they want to help, Joni Vernars said. One hundred percent of the funds go to the charities and are tax-deductible, she added.
For more information, email Joni Vernars or Nassief at info@SashaHelps.com.