"Sisu" Lives Up to Her Name

IRONWOOD, MI - by Keri Singleton - Thursday, February 18, 2010 - Have you ever seen something so cute, so heartbreakingly adorable, that you shed a tear? Have you ever seen something with such determination that you had immediate respect? Have you ever been overcome with an urge to protect, love, and shield something from harm?

“SISU” is a Finnish term that is an old characterization used by the Finnish people. It’s meaning includes: courage, tenacity, stubborn determination, energy, and a will and ability to get things done. ‘SISU,” in this case, is a name given to a beautiful little female Husky puppy, about 8 weeks old, found wandering in Wal-Mart parking lot, Ironwood, Michigan. She is so full of life and energy, it’s easy to see that she will be a perfect companion for almost anyone. It’s also easy to see that her limitations-one missing back foot and most of her front right paw is also missing-do not do one thing to crush her spirit. A birth defect is the reason for her missing back paw, and half missing right front paw.

SISU’s foster Mom, Betsy Jeske, from Wakefield, Michigan, says Sisu is playful, social, gentle, and adapts to any situation. She has a much needed determined way about her. When she first arrived, Betsy said Sisu wanted to be held all the time. Now that she’s comfortable in her surroundings, she wants to be held a lot less. She has a desire to play with the other dogs at Betsy’s, but has not mastered it yet. Since arriving at Betsy’s, Sisu has shown great progress.

Booties help her move around well in the snow, and she has trouble with non-carpeted flooring, due to not having a back foot. While she may have a hard time with stairs, Sisu ought to be able to navigate a ramp just fine.

The short amount of time I spent with Sisu was enough to show me that this puppy will be a wonderful dog, who will be a loyal family member. She may need some extra help to live a full life, but I’m sure the right owner is out there. To get more information about Sisu, contact H.O.P.E. (Help Orphaned Pets Everywhere), at (906) 932-1511. You can visit H.O.P.E. online at www.hopeanimalshelter.org. Potential adopters must fill out an application via H.O.P.E. Animal Shelter before an adoption can take place.