‘My canine is so huge individuals assume he is a wolf – it prices £1k-a-year simply to feed him’
Mal the Alaskan Malamute was adopted when he was just a puppy but soon started growing at an alarming rate and has been eating his owners out of house and home
A devoted dog owner said her beloved pooch is so enormous that passers-by confuse it for a wolf and nervously dart across the street. The towering 6ft Alaskan Malamute called Mal was welcomed into Amy Sharp’s home as a tiny pup.
Mal rapidly outgrew his harnesses, with vets diagnosing him with a type of canine gigantism. Standing on his back legs, five-year-old Mal towers over 6ft tall, tips the scales at 13st (182lbs) and sports a collar matching the circumference of a bloke’s waistline.
Amy, 27, reveals she shells out over £1,000 annually to keep Mal fed, but insists she wouldn’t change a thing about life with her colossal canine companion. She explained: “When we brought Mal home he was just like a normal puppy with cute little paws.
“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, Lincs. , welcomed Mal at eight weeks old after losing her 13 year old husky Misty. Carer Amy, who stands just 5ft 3ins herself, admits she receives some “funny looks” from folk when she ventures out with Mal for his daily constitutional.
She remarked: “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 anticipated him to weigh less than six stone – so his growth to more than double that size was a surprise. Amy admits she now finds it difficult to locate anyone capable of grooming Mal and occasionally needs assistance in coaxing him to return 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.”
