Sadie is now at her permanent foster home, and she’s all settled in. Boy, oh boy, is she ever a sweetie! She has one of the softest personalities and is the quintessential Golden Retriever through and through. She always is carrying something around in her mouth; she loves being close and will follow me around; she loves balls and sticks and even is showing a budding talent for retrieving.

When either of us gets home, she is so excited and has the cutest wiggle-butt and smile. It feels like she has been a part of our family for a long time, her greeting is so warm and happy.

I want to back up and share more of Sadie’s story. As her first update mentions, she came from a breeder along with another female dog. One of our faithful volunteers had her for just a couple of hours, and she brought the girls out to go potty. A flock of geese happened to fly directly overhead, and their loud honking spooked the dogs. They found a vulnerable spot in the fence and bolted, then ran and ran.

One of the dogs eventually was hit by a car (RIP, sweet girl), and Sadie, the follower, remained lost for six days. The whole RAGOM community rallied behind her, and of course, our hearts went out to the foster who was frantically looking for days on end.

The Retrievers were involved (thank you!), and a group of volunteers went to help look too (thank you to you all too!!). They put up a ton of signs, and a family who was driving through the area noticed this little nugget of a dog curled up in a field, laying in the sun, taking a nap. They had seen the signs, so they stopped and called for her. Sadie, being Sadie, ran right over and hopped in. They contacted the number, and Sadie was brought back home.

When I think about her being lost, I can’t even imagine—she is the sweetest, most gentle girl you could ever imagine. I often think how it must have been for her all alone out there. This was a life-changing experience for all involved, but we have her back now, and she is our very special girl. All I can say is she must have some special angels watching over her.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and she is doing fantastically at our house. She is so easy: She has a spunky side, so she likes to play and engage with us or the dogs, but she sure does like her naps! She is housebroken and sleeps through the night without a peep. I typically don’t let dogs up on the bed, but the first night she was here, she hopped right up. I didn’t have the heart to get her down, and that is where she has been sleeping since.

We’ve been practicing some dog stuff like walking in the "heel" position and going for rides in a vehicle. She is getting very good at walking, although sometimes she’ll get spooked (i.e., when a loud school bus drives by), and then she is less into the walk after that. I do lots of happy talk and very gentle coaxing when that happens—and sometimes I’ll just call it a day and turn around and get her back home. While she is stretching her comfort zone so beautifully, I want to respect her limits.

Sadie is going to be a wonderful addition to a family. I’d like to say a special thanks to all the RAGOM volunteers who have helped her thus far and are invested in her well-being. I know she feels all your good energy and love.