Jasper is home to an abundance of wildlife, but to many residents, far and away the most important animal in Jasper is Canis lupus familiaris—the domestic dog.

While many pups share the title of Best Boy or Girl, only one can take top honour as The Oldest Dog in Town.

Enter Sassy. Sassy is a Shih Tzu-dachshund cross, and the beloved pet of Sue McCarthy and Jackie Bohnet. Sassy is 18-years-old (in human years).

What keeps Sassy so young? Recently, Jasper Local contributor and local high school student, Shanti Langevin, endeavoured to find out.

A tough start

Before Sassy was adopted by Jackie at age five, she didn’t get the care she needed. Jackie remembers her matted fur and general disheveled appearance. She learned that the little lady had been left outside for most of her life—even in the winter.

“She was clearly not taken care of,” Jackie said. 

That changed with Sassy’s new home—even though at the time, Jackie didn’t realize she was getting a pet. She recalled her sister strongly encouraging dog ownership.

“She bangs on my door and says ‘Here’s your dog’, and she thrust the dog at me,” Jackie laughed. “I said ‘I’m not looking for a dog’, and she says ‘Sure you are,’ then slammed the door and left!” 

Fashion sense

Even thought their introduction was somewhat forced, Jackie and Sassy were soon hitting it off. Part of their bond was established playing dress up. Jackie said it’s important to have a doggy outfit for every occasion.

“Make sure that your pooch is stocked up on pyjamas, sweaters, and jackets,” Jackie said. 

One of Sassy’s favourite shirts is the one with an ‘S’ on it—for ‘Super Sassy, obviously.

“She has more clothes than I do!” Jackie said. 

As Sue points out, it’s important that dogs wear their outfits outside the house for a chance at the title of Best Dressed Dog in Jasper.

Getting her steps

At 126-human-years-old, Sassy can be forgiven if her mind isn’t as sharp as it once was. However, she has always kept active—a key to warding off doggy dementia. In her prime, no hike was too far for Sassy and only two years ago, when Mount Robson Provincial Park’s Berg Lake Trail was still open, Sassy had no trouble making the nine kilometre jaunt to Kinney Lake. Sassy, Jackie, and Sue would sometimes walk the trail twice a week.

“Not bad for a little dog with little legs.” exclaimed Sue.

These days, Sassy prefers shorter walks, like Old Fort Point or around Lake Annette.

Learning from her mistakes 

Sassy was always an active dog, but beyond long hikes and summer swims, there was a point in her life when Sassy liked to jump out of moving cars. One day, while Jackie was still living in Edmonton, she and a friend were driving through the UofA campus during the summertime. The car windows were unrolled and Sassy was sitting in the back seat enjoying the breeze. That’s when Sassy saw someone walking their dog and jumped. Right. Out. The. Window.

“I looked in my rear view mirror and all I could see is Sassy rolling down the street!” Jackie said.

Fortunately, the car wasn’t moving quickly and there wasn’t a vehicle behind them. Sassy came out uninjured, but to this day, when riding in the backseat, she doesn’t dare look out the window.

Look ahead to what’s coming

In addition to having dementia, Sassy is also far-sighted. This means that she can spot another dog from across the street, however, if you throw a treat in front of her, she won’t react.

Does this help her live longer because she can’t see and won’t chase, for example, a squirrel that’s right in front of her into the road? Or is she too old and wise to do something that dangerous?

Um…yes.

Worship the sun, skip the snow

Like many humans who for some reason call Jasper home, Sassy hates the snow and cold. Jackie and Sue suspect that Sassy had frostbite when she was a puppy—which could explain the dog’s distaste for subzero temperatures. But it gets to the point that during the winter, Sue and Jackie have to force Sassy outside to do her business.

“She’s the dog that won’t drink any water in the winter so that she doesn’t have to go outside more then once,” Jackie said.

During the summer, however, Sassy loves nothing more then to sit on her deck and soak-up rays. While Jackie and Sue sit in the shade, Sassy lets herself cook in the sun.

Maybe there’s no silver bullet to Sassy’s legendary longevity. But if a far-sighted, pyjama-wearing, sun-worshipping Shih Tzu-dachshund can make it to 18 years old in a northern climate surrounded by wild animals, there’s hope for all dogs.

Shanti Langevin // thejasperlocal@gmail.com