Amy Sharp, 27, from Lincolnshire, has told how she adopted her six foot Alaskan Malamute named Mal as a puppy and that he just continued to grow with his collar now the size of a man’s waist
A pet owner has told how her massive 13 stone dog is mistaken for a wolf but in reality is a “gentle giant”.
The six foot Alaskan Malamute named Mal was adopted by Amy Sharp when he was just a puppy and he soon started growing out of his harnesses and vets said he had a form of canine gigantism. When on his hind legs, five-year-old Mal stands more than 6ft tall, weighs 13 stone and has a collar the size of a man’s waist.
Amy, 27, says it costs her more than £1,000-a-year to feed Mal but says she has no regrets about sharing her home with the huge hound. She said: “When we got Mal home he was just like a normal puppy with cute little paws.
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“Over the months and years he just got bigger and bigger. He kept on growing out of his harnesses and collars every few months. He is so big that we worked out his collar is as big as a man’s belt. When we first got him we never thought he’d grow this big.
“He’s quite a diva and only eats kibble and certain low fat treats which cost quite a bit. We also have him on supplements and vitamins due to his size.” Amy, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, took Mal in when he was eight weeks old following the death of her 13-year-old husky called Misty.
Carer Amy, who is just 5ft 3ins herself, says she gets some “funny looks” from people when she takes Mal for his daily walk. She said: “Whenever I take him out for a walk I’m always being stopped and asked, just who is walking who? I’ve heard children walk past and ask their parents ‘Is that a wolf?’ We just laugh.
“We do get a lot of head turnings and if people are driving past us you can tell by their eyes they’re just like, what have I just seen?” Amy expected him to end up weighing less than six stone – so they were shocked when he grew more than twice that size.
Amy says she now struggles to find anyone able to groom Mal and sometimes needs help persuading him to walk home. She added: “He can be quite stubborn and if he decides to sit down and not walk you can’t move him. He needs to be walked at least six miles a day but sometimes is having too much fun and wants more walkies.
“On a few occasions, the neighbours have come out and they’ll try and help. He’ll just lay there and be like, I’m not ready to go home yet. He might be big but he’s a gentle giant. It’s Mal’s world and we’re all just living in it.”