Gabby and Sadie
Four years ago I moved to the beautiful state of Georgia . To sweeten the deal, my husband and I promised our son and daughter that we could get a dog once we settled into our new home. After doing research and lots of talking we decided to rescue a Westie. The internet provided me with the address and contact information of the wonderful people at the Atlanta Westie Rescue Organization.
We filled out our application and waited. On a terrible icy rainy night we had our home visit and interview. We were all so nervous. I am pretty sure we had chocolate chip cookies in the oven and a fire in the fireplace. We wanted everything to be perfect.
The dog would belong to my son Morgan and my daughter Alex. They were interviewed as the possible adopting owners. While I hovered nearby! After our interviewer left we waited again.
After too many weeks we finally got the call. Brenda Hemphill called to ask if I would take two dogs. They were kennel mates from a puppy mill and they did not want to separate them. As I listened to Brenda's description of the dogs it took me all of a nano second to say yes. When I hung up the phone my husband just rolled his eyes and smiled.
We arranged to meet our new dogs. They were staying with Brenda in a house full of Westie madness. When we arrived we looked nervously among all the moving jumping talking little white dogs. Brenda led us to a small crate with two shy and badly clipped dogs. She gently introduced us to Heidi (who we re-named Gabby) and Sadie. She assured us that they would be more friendly as time went on. It was clear that both dogs had recently had a litter of puppies and were overwhelmed by all the changes in their lives.
Brenda took our picture with our new family members and the adventure began! We were all so excited it was hard not to overwhelm Gabby and Sadie with too much attention. As we brought them into our home we told them: "Welcome to your new home; next stop Heaven". For the first few days both dogs stayed close to their crate and would put themselves to bed at 9:30 every night. We did our best to remain patient and to allow them to acclimate to their new surroundings.
Gradually they came out and would sit just outside the room we would be in. If we carried them in the room to be with us, they would leave and return to the same spot outside the room. They were not ready yet. Then one day Sadie came in and sat at our feet. After that we had her on the couch! Then sure enough in came Gabby. Gabby, the timid one, was always so shy and insecure it took so much love to get her to understand that the bad stuff was all behind her. Love we gladly showed her. Gradually the "girls" would sleep in the sunny spot during the day, and would relish the luxury that is a leather sectional and overstuffed chair during the evening.
Sadie and Gabby became unofficial mascots for several soccer teams. They would attend soccer games, always displaying the very best behavior. They became perfect examples of what a rescued Westie could become. Although I must say, anytime you bring two Wesites anywhere it becomes a party! Kids, adults, soccer referees, most people had to come over and visit them.
One night in October 2007 Gabby had a terrible seizure. We were shocked and devastated. How could this be happening to our family? The next morning after talking to our vet (Sam Adams) and armed with medication I felt better. We can handle this, I kept telling myself.
Gabby was a shell of her happy, talking, funny little self. We spent weeks trying to get her stabilized with food and medication. After two months we thought we had it. We had gone thirteen days without a seizure. Her weight was back up and she was talking every morning, telling us how happy she was for another day. We all took a deep breath and thanked God for our beautiful dog.
Last week our sweet little girl began to have gran mal seizures every 10-12 hours. She was loosing herself to her illness again. Dr Adams assured us that giving her more medication would just be harming her more than the seizures. She was already receiving the maximum dosage.
My brave and loyal daughter insisted that she hold her precious friend while Dr Adams helped Gabby to a better place. It was all at once a terrible and a healing moment. Watching a dog have a seizure, of the magnitude that Gabby experienced, is a devastating thing. Now she is free of seizures and will forever be happy.
I would like to thank the rescue organization for allowing me the privilege of sharing my life with Gabby. My only wish is that we had been given more time together. I know that we gave her a perfect life for the few years that she was with us. Hopefully she lived a life beyond her dreams.
Sadie is missing her friend. But, she is now being showered with all the love and affection that she can possibly tolerate. My daughter is improving every day; the loss of her dog has been a grief like she has never known. Personally, I am not sure if I should ever have any kind of a pet, the sadness is too deep when they leave.
I have attached a few pictures of Sadie, Gabby and our family. As you can see we were all blessed by having Gabby in our lives and we cherish every day we have with Sadie.
Letter to the Club upon the Passing of Sadie:
It has been more than 6 months since the circle of life was completed for our beautiful Sadie. It has taken me that much time to quiet my grief and collect my thoughts so that I could write you this letter.
I still rush to get home from work to see her, but not as often as before December 7, 2009.
Seven years ago my family rescued two Westies that had been kennel-mates.
Your organization was reluctant to separate them, so luckily we finagled a bogo. The lives our rescued Westies lived before they came to us, I hope, was only a dim shadow in the psyche of these sweet dogs.
I told them both when they walked into our house for the first time, "We promise you a good life and your next stop will be heaven. You belong to our family and we belong to yours."
Sadie came into herself as an old lady,
after Gabby her companion of many years and many sorrows passed away nearly two years ago. Due to the loss of Gabby, Sadie had to endure hours of pampering and a deluge of love and affection from our family.
I must say that she was patient with us and manage to get through it. During the 7 years she was with us I had NEVER seen her so happy. For the first time she actually wagged her tail in affection. It was about 8 months before she died.
(I think I cried that day)
All was good and Sadie was enjoying life as an only dog. She even slept on our beds at night, after being carried upstairs of course. Then the signs of her age started to creep in. She never was very active
but she became more and more sedentary. After awhile she developed a cough after she was picked up. A quick phone call and we had an appointment.
Our Vet, Dr. Sam Adams, a sweet and gentle soul but never one to mince words,
let me know after looking intently at an xray, that the new pneumonia he could take care of, but the spots on her lungs he wished he could, but he could not.
He put his big gentle hand on Sadie looked me in the eyes and told me to "
continue to take good care of her, keep her comfortable and we would do what we could with medication." Feeling like I had all the air taken out of my lungs I thanked him and scooped up my little girl and took her home.
She responded
very well to the medicine and we were back on track. But, as I am sure you know, the rest of this ends sadly. We all treated her as a queen and she was never allowed to exert her amazing self. Gradually her ability to breathe was badly
compromised and Sadie had a hard time eating and drinking. After speaking with Dr. Adams we groomed our beautiful girl and pampered her with all the love and affection we could. Seriously there is not a spa anywhere that did a better job
than us!
The next day, my husband and I held our friend while she left us Well, she is not gone completely, I can still feel her unconditional love in my kitchen where she was ALWAYS under my feet. I still stand at the sink and leave room for her;
old habits are hard to break. I know that Gabby and Sadie are back together where there is no cancer or epileptic seizure and there are cheese and "cookies" everywhere.
Thank you again for your organization. Without you I would never
have had the chance to explore being part of a Westie's world. They are dogs that are full of love, devotion and personality. I am so blessed to have loved and been loved by not one but two amazing Westies. My entire family misses them.
We still talk about them almost everyday. My heart is heavy but I know that it is fuller after having Sadie and Gabby in my life. Very Truly Yours,Betsy Dexter-Bylo
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