Our Pretty Sadie Girl

We knew she was getting older and slower, and more frail. Our Sadie girl. Her time with us sadly ended yesterday.

Nearly eleven years ago, her time with us began. She was already 3+ years old and had seen a tough life as a puppy. Mistreated, chained, and neglected, she was rescued from her first home in Kansas. Charlie needed a friend, so somehow we trekked to Oklahoma City--a half-way point between Kansas and Lubbock--and adopted her from a rescue foster parent. She was extremely skiddish and flinched each time we went to pet her. With each day she warmed up to us and realized that we were there to love her and give her a comfortable dog life.

She was always as gentle as gentle could be. She never met anyone whom she couldn't befriend. She never denied any attention, and even pawed at you for it if she felt she needed more. She had an inner clock for mealtime that got earlier and earlier as she got older. She'd bounce and bounce, bark and yelp frantically announcing that it was time to feed her...and Charlie could eat too.

I chided her often for being between my feet while cooking dinner, or sleeping right beside my bed when I'd get up in the middle of the night...always nearly stepping on her. We told her countless times to not circle the table like a shark awaiting crumb spills from the boys. She got her fair share of "Sadie-don'ts!"

Our family is missing a soft piece now. We're missing velvety ears to scratch, and a tummy that never said no to lovin'. We're missing our girl.