I adopted a sweet, adorable 11-year-old Cairn terrier mix from Pet Haven on July 11, 2012.  The minute I saw Sadie online, I had to go to the meet and greet at Chuck and Don's.  She was everything that you said she was in your description of her.

I fell madly in love with Sadie immediately.  She touched everyone that met her, especially the kids. I often wished I could have known Sadie earlier in her life.  She made every day special, along with her brother, Koko, also a Cairn mix.  She wanted so to impress her new Cairn brother, but he was more interested in taking all the human attention

for himself.  Koko got plenty of attention, but Sadie got her share with that beautiful little face.

Sadie developed several medical problems, but she remained independent and stubborn, in true terrier form, right up to the end.  In the last year of her life, she could not see or hear very well anymore and she suffered from

arthritis in her front legs and neck.  She always amazed me how she would get a boost of energy and run and jump like she was a puppy again.  During those times, she was quite entertaining.

Her passing was not a surprise, I guess.  She was 15 and slept the days away, but I was trying to prepare myself for the inevitable. She was her usual self in the morning and by the evening of the same day, she was a totally different dog.  We made a visit to the emergency vet in Apple Valley, only to get news that she probably had a brain tumor because of how she was acting.  We never did get it confirmed for sure.  We took her home and

she slept the afternoon away.  I decided I would call our vet and see if she was available Monday morning to come to our home so she could assist Sadie out of this world and to a better place.

Sunday night was a rough one.  Our vet was coming at 11:00 a.m.  I didn't know if Sadie would make it until 11:00.  I tried to keep her comfortable with some pain pills from the vet clinic, squirting water into her mouth, saying little prayers over her and brushing her non-stop.

The vet pulled up to our house running late from her previous appointments. I was just grateful she could fit us in at all.  My daughter said she took a call while gathering her things to come into our home and assist our little Sadie move on from this life.  All the while I could see that Sadie was struggling and that her time with us was very, very near to coming to an end.  It was as if she was looking up at me and saying, sorry, Mom, I can't do this anymore.  She died in my arms.  I walked to the door with her in my arms.  I told my daughter that Sadie was gone.

Unfortunately, our Halloween was not a Happy one.  I sent my daughter to one of her friends for an overnight and I spent the evening with Koko.  I felt I owed him some extra belly scratches since I had been pretty busy with Sadie for at least the previous 24 to 40 hours.

I just wanted to thank Pet Haven for giving us those four plus years with this lovely little dog, Sadie.  I will never forget her and I miss her horribly.

I wrote this not to share my grief on losing Sadie, but hopefully to encourage others to adopt a rescue animal, because although they can never be with us forever, but you will feel no greater love than the unconditional love that your pet gives you. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

In loving memory of my Sadie.