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Las Vegas man lost dog to hot spring, found support in therapy dog while recovering from burns

Sasha
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(KTNV) — A trip to help a friend with a broken down car ended in tragedy for one local family when they lost their dog, Sasha, to a freak accident.

To say Sasha was a beloved pet would be an understatement, David Kanaack told KTNV.

"I remember she saved my son from a poisonous snake one time and alerted us, and another time she notified me about a candle that was burning before the whole place burned down," Kanaack recalled.

Man heals after trying to save dog from scorching water

Tragedy struck when Kanaack took Sasha with him to a rural area of northwest Las Vegas to help a friend whose car broke down. After helping fix the car, he and Sasha took a stroll to a nearby hot spring.

"She's been around them before, and at first she was at the edge and it looked like she was backing away," Kanaack said. "I didn't even have time to look up before she was in there and in panic, she kept swimming away."

Kanaack quickly jumped into the scorching water.

"I was watching her go under, and I said she can't see me standing at the edge and just watching her burn to death. So, I jumped in after her," he said.

He was able to help Sasha out of the water and get her to a nearby animal hospital. But with burns to over 50% of her body, Sasha did not survive. Kanaack also suffered severe burns to 15% of his body.

"It's excruciating pain, I can't even describe it to anyone," he said.

But in the midst of that pain and sorrow for Sasha, Kanaack has found some comfort in another four-legged friend.

Harper, a therapy dog at University Medical Center, helps those in severe emotional distress. It's a program started five years ago to aid patients in their recovery journey.

Danny Romero is the UMC brand manager. He says Harper has made a difference for many people.

"Its been great to see folks like David, and see the impact our K9s have," Romero said.

Harper doesn't replace Sasha, but she does help ease the burden of losing a precious family member.

"They're just both such incredible souls, and just bring so much light to the world. I'm sure if I was in the parking lot and needed help, Harper here, too, would have something to say about it."