Alex
2006-2009
Alex came into our lives as a giant six month old puppy we adopted
while our previous male Anatolian was in the final stages of brain
cancer. He provided gentle companionship to Keeper for his final
month. Immediately upon the loss of Keeper, Alex stepped forward to
become a dog who could only be described in superlatives. In his short
but eventful life he became quite literally the poster Anatolian for
the NASRN. He was an incredibly handsome fellow that had a real knack
for being the most intimidating dog one could imagine, who would
instantly transform into a giant sweetheart with a simple
introduction.
Alex was raised by Carey and Lisa Ingram of Harpers Ferry, WV in a
mountain community where he enjoyed shady walks along gravel roads
with his female Kuvasz, and eventually another adopted male Anatolian,
canine companions. Alex was such a confident dog that he would easily
allow other dogs being fostered to enter into his pack and genuinely
seemed to enjoy the role of foster big brother to new dogs. Alex's
favorite spot however was a large wildlife management area off of the
Shenandoah River just a couple of miles from his home, where he could
run free in the tall grass and then bask in the cool river water.
In December, 2008 Alex suffered a ruptured ACL and required TPLO
surgery for repair. The surgery went well, his recovery was a success.
By late spring he seemed to be nearly back to his old self, bounding
through the basement after the other dogs and enjoying his regained
mobility. On May 30th of 2009 Alex suffered a inflammatory central
nervous system attack that left him in a virtual comatose state when
he had seemed fine just earlier that day. Apparently what he suffered
was an extreme case of GME (granulomatous meningoencephalitis) which
is a little understood condition, believed to be the result of an
autoimmune reaction. Alex will always be remembered for his great
looks, good nature, and complete devotion to his family. He was truly
a king among dogs.
