August 9, 1999: The day to meet Sadie had come! My husband and I were on our way to the meeting point to pick up this needy little one. We talked about what we knew of Sadie and wondered about her. In the course of conversations with Sadie’s owners over the weekend, they had revealed they’d only had Sadie for about 6 weeks. Her “mommy” had gotten her from a co-worker whose husband had not been nice to Sadie. We’re unsure of everything that occurred in that home, but that she had somehow been abused was clear. She had only lasted in that home for a couple of weeks, and the woman begged her co-worker to take Sadie because she feared her husband. That woman had acquired Sadie from a camping buddy, and Sadie’s stay in that home only lasted a couple of weeks, as well. The camping buddy’s aunt had given Sadie to her. This aunt was apparently an aged friend of the original owner, but she couldn't handle her. So the web that would be Sadie’s recent history was tangled, and it would take a bit of detective work to understand the situation fully. We would be Sadie’s 6th home in a very short time span! All her owners chief complaint was Sadie’s behavior: depression, biting her back, withdrawal, bowl aggression, and wetting the carpet. I was confident, though, that given the right home Sadie could overcome these issues! And I was determined to find her the right home. I remember feeling so nervous that I had butterflies in my stomach. When I mentioned this to my husband, he confessed that he, too, felt the same way. “What would she be like? Would she like us? Would she favor Misty, and if so, could I handle it?” So many questions were running through my mind. It was not our intention to give her a permanent home; once we rescued her we had every intention of finding her another good home. But first things first! Her life must be spared!
We arrived at the meeting spot a few moments before Sadie’s owners. Incidentally, the youth camp I was at the day Misty died I was in this town. In another twist of irony, little did we realize that Sadie had been born and spent her first weeks in her breeder’s home just under 5 minutes away! We would not find this out for 9 years. So, needless to say, this town holds a special place in my heart.
The butterflies continued with each moment we waited. Sadie’s current “mommy” told me to be on the lookout for a white car with 2 red-headed children in the back. When I saw 2 little red heads, I knew it must be them. But then….I saw this cute dog walking around in the back freely and felt so sorry for the life she was living.
We got out of the car to meet this new furry friend. She was over 10 pounds heavier than Misty (Misty was ¼ poodle), but still in many ways they favored. It only took one look into her big eyes to feel compassion for her. Speaking of eyes….they were big…very big for a Lhasa! So big that I at first was convinced she was Pekingnese. I even asked the owners about this saying, “Are you sure she’s a Lhasa?” Now, I think Pekingnese are adorable, I just wasn’t familiar with the breed. She looked cautiously at me and my husband, and was extremely gentle. We both thought that she was probably thinking, “Here I go again! How long will this last?” When her owner kissed her face and hugged her to say good-bye, I just felt in my heart that there was something special about this dog. This was no out-of-control animal. This was an animal in search of herself. In search of people to love her for who she was. And let her be herself. She put up no fight when we took her. I’m sure she had gotten used to the transfer-of-ownership routine by now. It was apparent she was sad. She needed to know she was loved and would never be abandoned again.
We had no air-bags, so she rode between my husband and I in the front seat. At one unforgettable moment of the ride, she laid down her head and sighed deeply. I remember my husband nudging me and whispering, “depressed.” We both couldn’t help but get misty-eyed for this little one. Eventually she would put her head on my lap, which surprised me. For a little dog to have endured what she had over the last few months, that she would trust me felt amazing. The butterflies still remained as we got closer to home. What would the evening hold? How would she adapt to yet another home?
We arrived at the meeting spot a few moments before Sadie’s owners. Incidentally, the youth camp I was at the day Misty died I was in this town. In another twist of irony, little did we realize that Sadie had been born and spent her first weeks in her breeder’s home just under 5 minutes away! We would not find this out for 9 years. So, needless to say, this town holds a special place in my heart.
The butterflies continued with each moment we waited. Sadie’s current “mommy” told me to be on the lookout for a white car with 2 red-headed children in the back. When I saw 2 little red heads, I knew it must be them. But then….I saw this cute dog walking around in the back freely and felt so sorry for the life she was living.
We got out of the car to meet this new furry friend. She was over 10 pounds heavier than Misty (Misty was ¼ poodle), but still in many ways they favored. It only took one look into her big eyes to feel compassion for her. Speaking of eyes….they were big…very big for a Lhasa! So big that I at first was convinced she was Pekingnese. I even asked the owners about this saying, “Are you sure she’s a Lhasa?” Now, I think Pekingnese are adorable, I just wasn’t familiar with the breed. She looked cautiously at me and my husband, and was extremely gentle. We both thought that she was probably thinking, “Here I go again! How long will this last?” When her owner kissed her face and hugged her to say good-bye, I just felt in my heart that there was something special about this dog. This was no out-of-control animal. This was an animal in search of herself. In search of people to love her for who she was. And let her be herself. She put up no fight when we took her. I’m sure she had gotten used to the transfer-of-ownership routine by now. It was apparent she was sad. She needed to know she was loved and would never be abandoned again.
We had no air-bags, so she rode between my husband and I in the front seat. At one unforgettable moment of the ride, she laid down her head and sighed deeply. I remember my husband nudging me and whispering, “depressed.” We both couldn’t help but get misty-eyed for this little one. Eventually she would put her head on my lap, which surprised me. For a little dog to have endured what she had over the last few months, that she would trust me felt amazing. The butterflies still remained as we got closer to home. What would the evening hold? How would she adapt to yet another home?
