Why not adopt?

As you know, Sadie is a rescue dog! So I'm all about adoption. I was sent the following infographic from www.adoptapet.com and I just love it. Check it out! Corgis are the best, aren't they? ;)

Looking for a Corgi Dog or Puppy? Why Not Adopt!

Sharing Sadie's Story

Sadie is featured on another website! Lovely Paige of Dexter Diary has started up a new blog called CorgiPals. Go check it out! She calls it "a blog dedicated to giving a voice to Corgis in need." So how could you not want to take a look? Besides featuring wonderful charities and fundraisers, she is also featuring stories about rescued corgis. We were lucky enough to be the first feature! I know most of you know our story already, but please take a trip over to the site if you get a chance and read our post.

Other than that, I have a lot of things to post about...I just haven't had the time! I hope to post more soon :) We hope you are all doing well, and we're so happy that you are here to follow our journey!

Who rescued whom?

I’ve been having a rough time lately. Just typical life stuff and stress. When I was talking about it with a friend yesterday, I mentioned how all I want to do is snuggle with Sadie. This is usually my go-to de-stressor. Corgis make excellent cuddlers, and Sadie in particular loves to snuggle. The night after I adopted Sadie, I called my friend crying. I was worried I was adopting a dog for the wrong reasons. I was scared I couldn’t do it. That I’d be a bad dog momma. At the time, I had just moved into my own apartment, so it was just me and Sadie. I hoped a dog would keep me company. I was worried I thought a dog might fix all my problems, but instead just give me new ones to worry about. My friend reassured me, and luckily I got over those fears. Sadie became my best friend.

Sadie was the first pet that is truly mine. She depends on me. She loves me. I can see it in her eyes. That may sound insane, but it’s true. Like when we’re at the dog park, and she scans the crowd for me. She looks scared if she can’t find me at first, but when she finally sees me, her eyes light up, and she comes bounding over to me. It makes me smile every time.

Every time I come home, she shakes her little nub like crazy and jumps up and down. What human will ever be this excited to see me??? And when we get into bed at night, she wants to be as close to me as possible. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without her. I probably would have been a lot worse off in Boston if I didn’t adopt her. She is the best little girl in the world, and I love her with my entire heart.

Yes, Sadie is a rescue dog, but truth be told, she’s the one that rescued me. And I will be eternally grateful for that. I didn’t post anything about Valentine’s Day. I am not a fan of the holiday. But I wanted to post this to express my love for Sadie. She will always be my Valentine, and she will always be my little girl. Thank you, Sadie, for rescuing me.

See also:
My Favorite Things
Love Is...

Why I Rescued Sadie

I've had pets throughout my whole life. Mainly cats, but we had a few dogs, too. We always adopted our pets from shelters. It may have been because it was cheaper to do so. But now it is my preference. I don't vehemently oppose breeders or anything. I understand why there are purebred dogs, and why many people want to buy them. And I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the fact that there are soooo many homeless pets out there. It breaks my heart. If I could, I would adopt several animals. (Although Sadie really wouldn't want to share my attention!)

When I was younger, it seemed like stray animals found me. They would always come to me, let me take care of them. This happened everywhere, even when we were on vacation. And this is how we got many of our cats, actually. My mom found a cat abandoned at the post office one day. She took her home. Unfortunately this cat was sick, but we cared for her while we could. The cat I had for most of my life, Stormy, came to us in a tornado. Literally. She flew through this tornado and landed on our neighbor's screen door. They had two dogs at the time, and couldn't keep her, so they gave her to us. She lived a long, long life. She was almost 16 when she died. I had her from Kindergarten until College. The dog I remember most was a Christmas gift from my aunt and uncle one year. They adopted her from the pound. A husky/german shepherd mix with piercing blue eyes. Unfortunately, she did not live a long life. She had seizures, and became very ill once we moved out of our house. I'm pretty sure she was beaten as a puppy, before she was adopted by our family. This is another thing that makes me so very sad. I sometimes think I want to work for the ASPCA, being an animal cop. But I think it would kill me. It makes me sick to my stomach when I think about how people abuse animals. They are so helpless, and they don't understand. It's so cruel.

Now, I don't know if Sadie was abused. I don't know what happened to her at all in her previous life. I have a feeling she was abandoned though. Perhaps her family just couldn't take her with them when they moved. I'm not sure, but I know she has abandonment issues. Sometimes I think she may have been abused, just because of how she reacts to certain things, like yelling, and loud noises. It rips my heart out to think she was hurt in the past.

When I decided to adopt a dog, I was originally looking for a Pug. I really love Pugs, and was hoping to find one I could adopt. However, I expanded my search to all small dogs, and Sadie popped up. And I fell in love. It was meant to be.

Something I've noticed about rescue dogs...they are so very grateful. It's like they know they were rescued. They know life is better now. Sadie was scared when I first got her, but she settled in quickly. Something interesting though...she didn't bark, or growl, or make any kind of noise for over nine months. She was even scared of squeaky toys. I always think it's because she was trying to be the best dog, so I wouldn't get rid of her. She was scared to do anything wrong. But then she realized she was stuck with me, and started to be herself. Her loud, bratty (and very lovable) self!

Sadie still gets nervous if there is yelling. And beeping noises really frighten her. (For example, the fire alarm beep that warns when the battery needs to be changed.) It seems she has some kind of PTSD reaction to this sound. I wish I knew her history, so I know why she does certain things...but then again, it's probably better I don't know the details. I have a feeling it would kill me to know.

A rather lengthy introduction.

So, I decided to start blogging about my pup, Sadie. I’ve noticed that there are a lot of corgi blogs out there, and wanted to get in on the action. Because I tend to tell anyone that will listen stories about Sadie, and shove pictures in their faces haha. Perhaps having a blog will be good, so that people that actually WANT to hear about Sadie will be able to come on here whenever they want, and get their dose of cuteness.

I’ll start with a little background on us. My name is Laurie, and Sadie and I just relocated to Long Island, NY from Boston, MA. I’m an editor/writer, and I am planning on going back to school to get a degree in Mental Health Counseling. I’m happy to be back in NY, and Sadie is enjoying it too. There’s lots of grass and time to play outdoors, which she loves. I was home every day until recently when I got a full-time job. Sadie hates when I leave her for work (and I hate it, too!). She always manages to guilt trip me by hanging her head and giving me the sad puppy dog eyes. It’s killer.

I rescued Sadie about three years ago, from a high-kill shelter in Tennessee. I found her on Petfinder.com. At the time, I wasn’t looking for a Corgi in particular, but I found her and fell in love. Who knows, maybe she found me! She was adorable, and I submitted an application right away. I spoke on the phone with her foster mom, and she said they could drive her up to me right away. I was so excited! The shelter had a relationship with another shelter in Rhode Island, and drove up dogs for adoption every weekend, dropping them off in RI, CT, and NH. (MA apparently has a law that you can’t do out of state adoptions this way, so I actually had to pick her up in NH.) I was very nervous, because I hadn’t met Sadie prior to the adoption, but from what her foster mom told me, she was a sweetheart. So I drove to NH, stopping at Wal-Mart first to pick up the essentials — a bed, food, some toys.


(This is the first picture I saw of Sadie, and the reason I fell in love!)

I was told to meet the adoption van at a park and ride in NH. Seemed slightly sketchy, but I was ready to get Sadie and start our life together! I got there, and there were a lot of other people picking up dogs, so that made me feel better about the whole situation. We had to go to the driver and tell them who we were there to pick up. Sadie’s name was Cory at the time, so I told the driver I was Cory’s new mom, and gave him her collar and leash. He went to the back of the van. I could hear lots of barking, and a few minutes later, out he came with little Cory. It was a lot like the Lion King, when they hold baby Simba up for everyone to see. All you could see was him holding out this scared little Corgi pup. You could tell she was very nervous, but I took her and walked her around a bit before we headed home. We got in the car, and she immediately went onto my lap. She looked up at me, and gave me a big kiss on the face. I knew we were a perfect match.

While I don’t fully know Sadie’s genetic make up, I do know she has some Corgi in her. I think she may be mixed with some kind of terrier, but I’m really not sure. She definitely has the Corgi ears and legs though! And she definitely has a Corgi personality. I am officially obsessed with Corgis now!!!

When I adopted Sadie, they estimated she was about 1-2 years old. I’m guessing she was a lot closer to 1, or even younger, because she grew a lot since I first got her. Sadie’s birthday is actually this upcoming Sunday, November 1! She will be 4 years old. I’ve always had pets growing up, both dogs and cats, but Sadie is the first pet that is truly mine. She relies on me, and I am her Mama. It’s a completely different feeling. One I never knew I could ever experience. I have no interest in having children. (Yes, I am only 27, but I’m pretty certain this won’t change.) However, I definitely feel that Sadie is my child. My little furbaby! I never thought I could love someone as much as I love Sadie. I would do anything for her. (This may explain why she is soooo spoiled. Haha.) She seriously has saved my life though.

I won’t get into it here too much, but I have battled with depression for most of my life. It has been debilitating at times, and I have hit rock bottom more than once. I can honestly say that Sadie has given me a reason to live. Everything I do is now about her, and she is why I wake up in the morning. And how can you not look at her beautiful face and smile? She means the world to me.

Well, I think that’s enough background for now. If you have any questions, please ask! I will probably “go back in time” for a few entries, just to share some special times with Sadie, until something fun and cute happens in the present day! I hope you enjoy our little blog.

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy! The first two are right after I adopted Sadie, and the third is a picture of the both of us!