Lady Sadie arrived here one year ago today, via the SPCA and Okanagan Collie Rescue. Her story is here: http://mylifewiththecritters.blogspot.com/2008/03/sadie-says-hello.html
In many ways she fit in right away, and yet of all the dogs I’ve fostered or adopted over the years, she took the longest to decide that this was not just a temporary holding place until her family came back for her.
It was three months before she stopped racing to the door in eager anticipation any time the doorbell rang and then sadly slipped back to her post by the patio door when she saw the guest was not the person she pined for. It was six months before she left her post by the patio doors for more than a few minutes at a time, as she carefully watched every car that drove by. It was almost eight months before she finally clambered on the couch or the bed and claimed this home as hers. Once she made that decision, she took ownership, deciding she must fly out the door the moment it opened and run around the perimeter of the yard barking “go away, go away, no intruders allowed here, this is MY place!”
I have no doubt that if she saw her previous family again she would not only remember them but joyfully run to greet them. But I also have no doubt that she would return to me, and that she knows that this is where she belongs now.
Happy Gotcha Day, Ms. Sadie. You are one very sweet girl. I am so glad you came to join our family.
7 comments:
Hi Jean...Sent you a message at your email address on March 3 and wondered if you had received it. On the subject line, I put "from Lis' 'chemo friend' in Texas...If you didn't receive it, let me know my email:nana510@cebridge.net
Thank you...kay
Hi Kay - I apologize! Students had an assignment due this week, and dozens of emails from them with questions/excuses/problems kept me from getting to many personal emails this week! Heading over there now.......
Sadie that's so sad to hear that you pined for your lost family, but happy to hear that you finally realized what a great place you landed in. You are one lucky girl.
Else
Happy G-day Sadie! I've really loved watching from a distance as you settled into your new family. You're a lucky girl. :)
I'm wondering if you were able to let Sadie's former family know how well she is doing. What a lucky dog to end up as one of your critters! Those yellow flowers are the perfect background to highlight Ms. Sadie's good looks. Beautiful picture of her!
Carol, just before Christmas Sadie posted a message to her former family on the craigslist closest to her original home town. I don't know if the former family ever saw it, but I received several responses from people who were touched by it, including one from a volunteer at the SPCA that took Sadie in. However, since the family was homeless when they surrendered her, I doubt there was any way for the volunteer to contact them to let them know of Sadie's message, even if the SPCA was willing for her to do so (I'm not sure of their policies on this).
I do hope that someone who saw it recognized the picture and was able to let the family know. Many of those who did respond were people who had themselves had to give up a dog under very difficult circumstances and still grieved for them and wondered how they fared.
You certainly did all you could to let them know Ms. Sadie ended up in one of, if not the, best place she could possibly have found. I'm hoping, like you, that the message got back to them. If not, I suspect it was a comfort to others who had faced similar circumstances.
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