CLEVELAND, Ga. — For nearly a week, Brandy Walters says she has searched day and night for her missing service dog, Sasha. The loyal boxer–husky mix, who turns 6 years old on Christmas, vanished late Sunday near Westmoreland Road and U.S. 129 in White County.
“I’m devastated,” Walters tells Now Habersham as she details the long week this has been. “I have taken my other dogs and walked miles and miles of creek beds in the woods, the highways, and put out 100 flyers.”
Hours after Sasha disappeared, the White County Sheriff’s Office briefly located her, but when Walters arrived within minutes, Sasha had already slipped away. Deputies helped search for several hours before the trail went cold.
“They were amazing,” Walters says of the deputies. Of her beloved Sasha, she says, “She has never been alone, never been outside overnight. I know she is petrified.”
Search focused near Leisure Acres Campground
Since disappearing on October 19, Sasha has been spotted several times between 3 and 4 a.m. near Leisure Acres Campground off Westmoreland Road south of Cleveland. Walters says she has spent every night waiting there, hoping Sasha will reappear.
“Terrified,” of what coyotes might do to Sasha, and worried about how she is faring in the cold, Walters says, “I’ve barely slept. I sit out there until six in the morning just hoping to catch a glimpse of her.”
Walters brought in professional trackers from Atlanta on Friday. They set a trap near Leisure Acres, but thick woods have made drone searches difficult.
What to do if you see Sasha
Based on what animal experts have told her, Walters says Sasha is likely in fight-or-flight mode and may not recognize voices, even familiar ones.
“If you yell her name right now, she’s not going to come,” Walters says. “She doesn’t recognize sound — only visuals. It may take her a minute to recognize us.”
Since Sasha has approached people before, then run away, Walters asks that anyone who sees the 45-pound husky mix keep her in sight and call Walters immediately. Sasha is light tan and white with distinct husky markings, including one light blue eye.
“She’s sweet and not aggressive, but she’s a husky — they’re vocal. If she barks, she’s probably just talking.”
Refusing to give up
Walters says she’s slept less than 10 hours in six days. She’s also recovering from major arm surgery just two weeks ago and has fallen sick from the cold night air. Still, she refuses to stop searching for her beloved service dog.
“There’s nothing that’s going to keep me from it,” she insists. Her Cane Corso and German shepherd have spent hours tracking Sasha’s scent across the campground area.
How to help
Walters fears someone may have taken Sasha in and is letting her out only at night. She urges anyone who spots Sasha — or even thinks they might have — to contact her at 706-403-7651 anytime, day or night. “There’s no time that’s too late to call,” she says.
Tips can also be shared through local community Facebook pages or with the White County Sheriff’s Office.
