Shelter dog that found lost 10-year-old boy can win national hero award. Here’s how to help
After Gina Silvestri heard screams coming from her neighbors about a missing 10-year-old boy, she asked them for something that belonged to him.
Silvestri took the boy’s favorite toy — a stuffed monkey — and pushed it up to her dog Sasha’s nose. Then they were off.
Sasha, which Silvestri rescued from Miami-Dade Animal Services in October 2019, ran through the Hallandale Beach neighborhood and spotted the boy, who was several blocks away.
Lorraine Ruth, the boy’s mother, credits the Belgian Tervuren for finding her son, Noah — who has Down Syndrome and is nonverbal.
“To have a dog come to the rescue was just so amazing,” Ruth said of the Dec 26, 2019 incident. “We had never even met them before. And he tracked right to him.”
Sasha, whose name means man’s defender, now has the chance to win the American Humane Hero Dog Award in the shelter category. Silvestri said she nominated him as a way to amplify how incredible shelter dogs can be.
“This isn’t just about Sasha,” she said. “This is about raising awareness about shelter pets.”
The awards recognize
dogs that “do extraordinary things,” according their website. Dogs could be nominated in seven categories.
The winning dog will be featured on Hallmark Channel in the fall.
Sasha was found Oct. 3, 2019, off 305th Street and 191st Avenue in Homestead — near the Everglades. According to Miami-Dade Animal Services, he was found as a stray and picked up by the Humane Animal Response Team. When he
first arrived, staff noted that he was fearful and shy.
Silvestri, who loves the breed, said she heard that one had arrived at the shelter. On Oct. 9, Silvestri brought him home.
Sasha has been the face of fundraisers for various rescues and one to help a retired police dog. Silvestri shares his adventures on his Instagram account Sashatheherodog.