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Sadie, the Wonder Dog started her life (June 26, 1999) as a Guide Dog in Training for the Eye Dog Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona. I got to pick her out and name her. She spent the first year and a half of her life with me on the PVCC campus doing basic dog obedience work. Then she graduated to one year of advanced training at the Eye Dog Foundation facility.
I had to say goodbye to her forever on July 5, 2000. She was in advanced training for almost a year when her and her brother came up limping. Both were tested and diagnosed with Spinal Myelopathy. I was asked if I wanted to have her back as my pet. It took me 10 mintues to go get her and she's been with me ever since. She had a life threathening illness about a year after she was home with me and I will write that story next.
However, she did recover and I promised God that if she did, I would do volunteer work with her. We became a "pet therapy team" at the Maricopa County Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona on May 4, 2003 and she retired on May 4, 2007.
This is her story of her four years of work with the children at Maricopa Medical Center.
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#1 - Snowy Day
She was traveling with her Mom and dog when her whole life changed in a blink of an eye, like most lives do.
No one will ever know exactly how it happened because she was too young and the only witness. We do know that she lived for 2 days and 2 nights off crackers she found in the wreck as she huddled close to the bodies of her Mom and dog. Finally, a highway patrol officer found the skid marks and some disturbed snow that lead him to the wreck.
She was in the hospital for 6 days and wasn't talking to anyone including her aunt and uncle, or the child life specialist, the social worker, the doctor, or any of the nurses. In fact, she hadn't talked to anyone except her mom and dog since the highway patrol officer took her out of the wreck.
That's how she was when Sadie and I walked into the room that Wednesday and she into our hearts.
Seeing as she was only 6 years old, Sadie and I thought it necessary to meet with her on the floor. I gently asked her if she would like to pet Sadie and she shyly shook her head "yes." I then asked if it would be okay if we all sat on the floor, and I think I saw a little smile.
She wouldn't accept the invitation to sit directly in my lap, but she did think it was okay if she sat next to me. Sadie sat curled up and close to her so she would be able to pet the spots that Sadie liked petted the most. So, it began.
Trauma for children can so easily take the voice right out of them. No one was able to find the key that could unlock her scream. Sadie did.
We needed to desperately find out what happened and if she could understand what really happened. There was a nasty custody battle already brewing between the Aunt, Uncle with the ex-husband. The courts needed to know if she knew who she wanted to live with. There was so much at stake that afternoon and I was glad the Sadie and her really didn’t know that part of it. After all, there were stories to tell and petting to be done.
So, where would YOU begin?
I took just a slight moment for a deep breath, a little prayer and tons of hope that what would come out of my mouth would be the right thing. So, I thought that it would be good to pretend that I was talking, playing and interacting with just another 6 year old on the playground.
"So, how old are you? You kinda look like you might be 6 or 7."
No response to me, but lots of petting on Sadie.
"So, do you like Sadie? She's a very big dog, huh?"
No response to me, but lots of petting on Sadie.
So, I begin to ramble on, just kind of asking questions, making comments, trying stuff that I think could unlock that door and nothing!
All of a sudden, after petting Sadie for a few minutes and seeing that she IS a big dog but gentle and friendly, the little girl looks up at me and says, "You know, my dog died."
Well, how can one prepare for such a moment? I swallowed hard, told my tears to stay exactly where they were in my eyes, looked down at her and said. "She did? I’m very sorry. Why don’t you tell that story to Sadie?"
Then she opened up, all the flood gates were loosened and into Sadie’s shoulder she began to cry and tell Sadie the story of what happened to her, her Mom and her dog on that snowy day.
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