Israel's "first dog," Kaia, died on Monday, at the age of 12 and a half.
A rescue dog, Kaia was adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in 2015.
In a post on Facebook following her death, Netanyahu wrote, "Our beloved Kaia is gone. Two months ago, Kaia collapsed following a herniated disk in her neck that paralyzed her. She underwent two difficult surgeries to enable her to go back to standing on her legs. After hydrotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy did not work out, two days ago [Sunday] we all came – my wife, Sara, [and sons] Yair and Avner – to say our goodbyes.
"At this opportunity, we call on all those able to adopt older animals: Give them a home and life – and you will get so much warmth and love from them [in return]. Kaia was a seventh-generation purebred Alaskan. She was born in Kibbutz Givat Brenner, won numerous beauty pageants and displayed extraordinary intelligence and sensitivity. We so hoped she would come back to us, and that she would get to experience snow in Jerusalem for once in her life."
Netanyahu concluded the post by saying, "Kaia was a part of our family. How great our grief is at her having left us. We will remember her always."
