This week we had to say goodbye to our sweet girl Sadie.

We loved her so much and it was so very, very hard, but it was time.

We made the decision to let her go in peace ourselves before she simply couldn't stand any more. She was wasting away, and her legs were so bad she could barely get up and down any more. It's a decision that was the right one, but hurts so very much nonetheless.

  

She was such a wonderful dog, sweet, smart, fun, full of life, our faithful companion and family member for almost 14 beautiful years.

Here's a little tribute to her that I put together by digging up some old photographs:
 

            
During our first week together                                  Starring in the Blue Jay Christmas Parade

Her life had somewhat of a rocky start, being rescued by the Mountains Humane Society in Lake Arrowhead who found her during a blizzard in a vacant mountain lot while nursing six little puppies. 

New members ourselves we agreed to foster her until she could be adopted out after her puppies were weened and her being spayed. 

Well, ... she turned out to be such a great dog that we just couldn't let her go and ended up adopting her ourselves. (like you didn't see that one coming)


              


She turned out to be one smart cookie and graduated with flying colors from Pet-smart's Basic Obedience Class and an advanced Group Obedience Class in Lake Arrowhead that earned her the "Good Dog" status.

She loved the cold of the Lake Arrowhead winters, especially when we had snow!

                           

 

Although not overly social she made friends wherever she went:

 

With Bill's Sadie and Sally,

 

.... and the 'motley crew' on Cameno Island

Friends AND snow! The best! (with Puppy, Ruby and Wyatt)

           

She lived for her walks and loved going everywhere with us:                                     

Desserts ...

Beaches ...

Forests ....

And she loved 'her' cats, especially Elmo:

She didn't mind getting soaking wet when it rained,


                        

  

(especially if you can dry up afterwards on the heated floor tiles. Silly girl ...)

 

and she loved to swim and chase after ducks ....

But she absolutely hated getting a bath ......!

.....or being bit by a rattlesnake in the face .... ouch...!

     Cookies! Yummm! Always! Bring them on! Any food, for that matter!

 

                                           

                                            Did someone say cookies?


She loved the Holidays (and her Birthday) because she loved getting presents. We had to thoroughly wrap them otherwise she would already start opening them in the days before.

                              


       


                        

      Point a camera at her and she got really shy ......
                                                

                                 

                                                               Who, me?  ......such a sweet face.


The last year of her life she battled Canine Degenerative Myelopathy, also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy, an incurable, progressive disease of the canine spinal cord and she slowly lost the use of her back legs. 
We were donated a doggie wheelchair which helped her a lot although she loathed being 'in it':

She was a trooper, still wanting to go:


 

For some reason she regained some stability in Lajitas and could scurry around without it most of the time until her front legs started to get weak too ...



                          


She still looked pretty good until the very end but you could feel her bones because of the weight she started losing and she could not get up or down anymore without us lifting and carrying her.
She just didn't have 'fun' anymore ....


                

Someone said: 
"The biggest problem with pets is that they don't live long enough. 
They always seem to leave us when we're most vulnerable, most in need of their biased, affirming presence. They make us believe we can actually be as they see us, and it's often only when they're gone that we realize their role in what we've become.
They love us completely, unconditionally, and sometimes think more of us than we think of ourselves. They teach us to be better people and they are gone way to soon ...."

So very true.

                                    

Goodbye baby girl. Thank you for loving us like you did. We will miss you dreadfully but you will be in our hearts and memories forever.