Saving Sadie Read online

  Praise for Saving Sadie

  “As an animal lover, and the owner of four fur babies of my own, plus one stray cat who found her way to my home to become a part of my family, I understood Joal Derse Dauer’s love for Sadie, who she rescued from a no-kill shelter. I immediately fell in love with Sadie as you all will, too. Please, I urge all you animal lovers out there, don’t walk, run to your bookstore to buy this wonderful, inspiring book. And then I urge you to do what you can for all the animals who don’t have a Joal Derse Dauer to count on to give them a better life, because that’s what I’m going to do as soon as I send off this testimonial.”

  —Fern Michaels, New York Times bestselling author

  “Animals are the ultimate teachers of unconditional love. Saving Sadie will not only lift your spirit, open your heart, and deepen your humanness—it will make you want to tell everyone in your life to adopt, adopt, adopt! We think when we adopt a pet that we are saving them, but the truth is, it is they, those perfect, lovable, guardian angels in fur, who truly save us. This book is not only a must-read, it is a moving, undeniable, and compassionate call to action.”

  —Jodee Blanco, bullying survivor and activist and New York Times bestselling author of Please Stop Laughing at Me

  “I LOVED Saving Sadie! What a wonderful book. Saving Sadie is a true hero’s journey. Moving and inspirational, touching and heartwarming, it’s a triumph of hope over adversity. Saving Sadie will stay with you long after you’ve put the book down. It’s the feel-good story of this or any year!”

  —Sue Pethick, author of Pet Friendly and Boomer’s Bucket List

  “What is it about dogs that reaches into our souls? Joal Derse Dauer adopts a dog that suffered from the worst of humanity only to learn that Sadie the dog had much to teach her about love and acceptance. Dauer takes us on a journey that is bigger than one woman and one dog; it is a journey of hope.”

  —Jacqueline Sheehan, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger in the House

  “An uplifting story with tremendous heart. I couldn’t put it down.”

  —Helen Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Cleo

  Saving Sadie

  How a Dog That No One Wanted Inspired the World

  Joal Derse Dauer with Elizabeth Ridley

  CITADEL PRESS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  CITADEL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2017 Joal Derse Dauer and Elizabeth Ridley

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  CITADEL PRESS and the Citadel logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-0-8065-3838-9

  First electronic edition: October 2017

  ISBN-13: 978-0-8065-3839-6

  ISBN-10: 0-8065-3839-2

  Dedicated to all the thousands of people whom we have met on this amazing journey. It is through your help, love, and kindness that we have been able to reach out and make a difference in the lives of so many others.

  Don’t stop believing.

  The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something

  that will outlast it.

  —WILLIAM JAMES

  AUTHORS’ NOTE

  Saving Sadie: How a Dog That No One Wanted Inspired the World is the true story of how author Joal Derse Dauer found and rescued Sadie in 2012. Some of the names have been changed to protect individuals’ privacy and some characters in the story are composites based on several people.

  Table of Contents

  Praise for Saving Sadie

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  AUTHORS’ NOTE

  PROLOGUE - Sadie Steals the Show

  CHAPTER ONE - A Grim Prognosis

  CHAPTER TWO - A Second Chance for Sadie

  CHAPTER THREE - Project Saving Sadie

  CHAPTER FOUR - Who’s Rehabbing Whom?

  CHAPTER FIVE - Sadie Faces Surgery

  CHAPTER SIX - Sadie and Noah—When Kindred Souls Connect

  CHAPTER SEVEN - Acres and Acres of Hope

  CHAPTER EIGHT - The Mothership Connection

  CHAPTER NINE - Sadie Goes to Asia

  CHAPTER TEN - Neurologists Deliver Sad News

  CHAPTER ELEVEN - Going Gaga for GooFurr

  CHAPTER TWELVE - Florida, Here We Come

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Sadie Rides the Seadog

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Pure Love and Second Chances

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  PROLOGUE

  Sadie Steals the Show

  Overleaf: Joal and Sadie at GAB: Generations Against Bullying event, April 2016 (photo courtesy Valerie Alba).

  Sunday, April 24, 2016

  My heart races, my throat is parched, and the butterflies in my stomach have morphed into fruit bats as the gleaming glass elevator whisks us up to the Pilot House, the elegant circular ballroom that extends from Milwaukee’s Discovery World museum and aquarium out over Lake Michigan, hovering above the choppy waves. Catching my reflection in the glass, I smooth my little black dress, fluff my shoulder-length blond hair, and toss the long, pink, feather boa over my shoulder.

  I glance down at my beautiful canine companion Sadie in her specially blinged-out wagon and draw strength from her calm, steady presence. What a pair we make, me in my black dress and fluorescent pink boa and she in a hand-stitched, crushed velvet bodice-and-cape dress, the skirt hemmed in bright pink rosebuds, with matching pink marabou feather wristlets and a pink-and-faux-diamond collar.

  “Are we ready for this?” I ask her, genuinely concerned. She wags her tail and barks, reassuring me that we’ll be fine. After four years together, we’ve developed a kind of emotional shorthand, a means of communication that bypasses language and allows us to connect directly, heart to heart and soul to soul.

  We’re on our way to a fund-raising event for GAB—Generations Against Bullying, a nonprofit anti-bullying organization for which Sadie serves as a peer “ambassa-dog,” highlighting the connection between bullying and animal abuse while teaching kids to become “upstanders,” not bystanders, who do the right thing when they see animals or other kids being bullied or hurt.

  Sadie and I appear at dozens of events and venues every year, but today is special—it is Sadie’s “re-birthday,” the fourth anniversary of the day we first met and she turned my life around. Today is also special because this event will feature the world premiere of a six-minute short film all about Sadie, with Sadie herself hamming it up in the starring role.

  The glass elevator shudders to a halt and in the moments before the doors open, I bend down and whisper in Sadie’s ear, just as I have done so many times before, “Okay, girl, it’s show time!” She knows the drill by now, and responds with another chirpy bark and enthusiastic wag of her tail.

  The doors slide open and as I pull Sadie in her wagon out of the elevator and along the red carpet toward the center of the ballroom, the onslaught begins. “Sadie! Sadie! Over here! No, over here! Can we get a photo, please? Smile, Sadie, and say cheese!” Cameras flash, champagne flows, and the paparazzi jockey for position, elbows darting and flying in their push to get the perfect shot of Sadie, the evening’s shining star.

  My head spins as I attempt to take in all the sights. The Pilot House is draped with long, colorful sashes, festooned with bunches of black and red balloons, and absolutely jam-packed with the Midwest’s movers
and shakers, celebrities from the political, philanthropic, and media worlds, including Wisconsin governor and former presidential candidate Scott Walker, his wife, Tonette, longtime local TV anchorwoman Carole Meekins, and Teri Jendusa-Nicolai, domestic abuse survivor and renowned public speaker, and yet all attention is riveted to the two of us on the red carpet, and in particular Sadie, just an unassuming, medium-size, black-and-tan dog, sitting up straight and proud in a child’s pull wagon, her intelligent, honey-brown eyes shining, ears flopping forward, and tail eagerly wagging. She demonstrates no fear, no nervousness, no uncertainty, even with the crowded press of people, the noise, the activity, the lights. It is as if she were born to do this, because, in fact, I believe she was born to do this, spreading her important message of hope and faith and perseverance, of never giving up, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

  How honored and humbled I feel to be Sadie’s “mom,” the human she chose (and there can be no mistake about it—I did not choose her; she chose me) to be her companion, champion, advocate, and partner-in-crime for life. But how different it all seemed, four years ago tonight, when she lay lifeless and defeated in my arms, paralyzed, filthy, despondent, and incontinent, the victim of horrific abuse, and her future appeared to be measured not in years, months, or even days; mere hours remained until her scheduled rendezvous with the euthanasic needle. Isn’t it incredible, how the miracle of love can so completely turn two lives around?

  My reverie is interrupted by a sudden, shy-but-intent tug on my boa. I glance down to see an anxious little boy, maybe seven or eight years old, in a navy blazer, shiny new shoes, a bow tie, and thick, black-rimmed glasses. “Excuse me, but can I pet her please?” he asks, pushing up his glasses.

  “Of course,” I reply, taking his warm, chubby little hand in mine and guiding him to Sadie’s wagon, which has been specially created for this evening, wrapped in shiny black fabric lined with rows of faux diamonds, the words SavingSadie.com spelled out in elegant cursive diamond lettering along either side. The crowd of adults Sadie is entertaining parts to make way for the child. A little nervous, he looks up to me for reassurance. I nod, bend, and demonstrate how to pet Sadie, moving his hand in mine over her smooth head, down her neck, and between her strong shoulders. “She’s a good doggie,” I say softly as Sadie gazes at the boy, slowly wagging her tail. “And she loves it when you pet her.”

  Sadie has a remarkable gift, a natural rapport with all living creatures, but especially with children and people with special needs. Responding to the boy’s attention, she nudges him with her nose and opens her mouth, smiling her trademark tongue-wagging smile. The boy squeals with delight, stroking her head and petting her with energetic, little-boy abandon. We may be in a room full of celebrities, I think to myself, but I know that it’s moments like this one that Sadie and I both live for.

  Briefly leaving Sadie to her adoring fans, I work my way around the dazzlingly fancy ballroom, introducing myself, handing out business cards, and spreading our important message. I even get a photo alongside Governor Walker on the red carpet, but unfortunately the governor has a lifelong allergy to dogs so he’s not able to pose with Sadie. In my few moments with the governor I take the opportunity to press him about strengthening Wisconsin’s laws and punishment regarding animal abuse. Ever the politician, he agrees it’s a vitally important issue and promises he’ll get back to me.

  Before I know it, it’s time for dinner, a grand, sit-down, three-course gourmet affair consisting of a mixed mesclun salad with fresh herbs and rice wine vinaigrette, followed by an entrée of Strasbourg Chicken, a roasted chicken breast enveloped in a rich, tarragon-scented velouté sauce accompanied by pureed potatoes and French beans, and finishing with a petite honey cheesecake dessert with a sprig of fresh mint and raspberry coulis. There’s no dog food for Sadie on this most special of evenings, no ordinary kibble-and-bits; no, we pull her wagon right up to our ten-person table and she sits up and joins us, human-style, listening to the conversation and following intently with her bright, soulful eyes. When we get to dessert, the whole table breaks into a rousing (if slightly off-key!) rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and, to celebrate her special day, Sadie is allowed a small sample of cheesecake, which she eagerly devours, lapping it up with her tongue. How many dogs get to do this? I ponder. How many dogs are blessed to have a life like Sadie’s?

  They say it takes a village to raise a child; well, it takes a team,Team Sadie, to enable her, and me, to do the things we do, traveling around the country visiting schools, hospitals, libraries, pet stores, animal shelters, nursing homes, and other venues, spreading our twin messages of accepting those beings, both human and animal, who have special needs, along with pressing the need to enact stronger laws and penalties against animal abuse.

  I feel especially blessed this evening to have with me several key members of Team Sadie: Jeff, my trusty dog-sitter, a soft-spoken Vietnam vet with mighty struggles of his own who nonetheless is indefatigable in caring for Sadie and my other fur babies when I am at work; my gentle and generous sister, Marnette, who traveled all the way from South Carolina to be here tonight and who was one of Sadie’s earliest champions, encouraging me to keep fighting for Sadie, even when all hope appeared to be lost; Valerie, Sadie’s dedicated social media guru; comedian Dobie Maxwell; friends and supporters Cindy and Brad; Dr. Jodie, the only vet willing to give Sadie a chance when other vets recommended euthanasia; and Kati, Dr. Jodie’s right-hand person.

  We are just finishing dessert when the lights suddenly dim and the chattering crowd of several hundred falls breathlessly silent. Dark curtains whisk elegantly across the floor-to-ceiling windows, obscuring the 360-degree view of Milwaukee’s cozy harbor at twilight, as two giant screens at the front of the room flash, sputter, then flicker to blazing life. After a brief intro from the film’s writer and director, GAB board chairman Bill Eisner, the somber narration begins, as the soft, gentle voice of a young woman speaks Sadie’s thoughts aloud.

  The other day, I heard someone talking about how lonely they were. They said they were sad, because people were making fun of them, saying really bad things about them, things that weren’t even true. Things that hurt. A lot. They said that it had gotten so bad they didn’t even see the point in living anymore.

  Beautiful, sun-kissed images of Sadie fill the screen as the voiceover explains how Sadie’s first owner shot her and left her for dead after she gave birth to a litter of puppies. I remember feeling totally alone. Abandoned. I couldn’t understand how someone could be so mean to me. I hadn’t done anything to him. It was getting darker, and colder, and even though I didn’t want to leave, I could feel my world slipping away. I started feeling sad, thinking about all the things I would miss if my life ended that night.

  What I didn’t realize was that there were people who heard the shots and came running to see what was wrong, came to see if they could help me. They didn’t want the bully to have the last word.

  I watch the screen in awe as Sadie gives Lassie a run for her money in the acting department, re-enacting key moments from her life on film: lying prone and lifeless in a pile of leaves with pretend blood marring her forehead; being carried into therapy at Dr. Jodie’s; swimming in the pool at Think Pawsitive; curling up in my arms as we watch the sunset at Bradford Beach.

  The darkness of the ballroom magnifies sound, and I can hear people sniffling, coughing, and clearing their throats during the video’s most heart-rending moments. Glancing around me, even in the dark I catch sight of a few glimmering cheeks, and tissues surreptitiously dabbing moist eyes as Sadie’s remarkable story plays out before us.

  I reach over and stroke Sadie, sitting up in her wagon beside me and intently following the action on the screen. Sadie, everyone watching this film thinks that I rescued you from certain death, but you and I both know that in fact it’s the other way around—you rescued me. You changed my life, giving me meaning and purpose, opening my heart to people and ideas and possibilities I could neve
r otherwise have imagined. And yet it was all so very different four years ago, when a brief stop at a no-kill shelter in Kenosha, Wisconsin, changed not only my life, but also the lives of thousands of other people around the world, forever.

  CHAPTER ONE

  A Grim Prognosis

  Four years earlier: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

  Having just dropped off my donation of blankets and bedding, I was in a hurry to get back on the road, but suddenly one of the dozens of dogs housed at this no-kill shelter in Kenosha, Wisconsin, caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks as my heart stuttered, my breath caught, and I took another look. I don’t think I had ever seen a more pitiful creature, or a dog that had more wrong with it: sad amber eyes, defeated expression, sunken shoulders, withered back legs, wounded forehead, and dull, dirty, matted fur. The dog, along with one of the shelter’s volunteers, was sitting outside in the cool, dappled shade beneath a lacy-leaved maple tree. Something in the dog’s face reached out to me, drawing me closer, begging me for help. I seemed to understand instinctively that this was no ordinary dog and I needed to find out more. “What is this dog’s story?” I asked the volunteer, a friendly-looking woman in her mid-forties with light brown hair.

  “Her name is Sadie and she arrived here last night,” she replied, then proceeded to tell me the whole story in heartbreaking detail. Sadie had been found in the hardscrabble Appalachian hills of Kentucky some weeks earlier, where, it was surmised, after giving birth to a litter of puppies she was shot between the eyes and in the back and left for dead. The strangers who found her, dazed, dehydrated, and bleeding, took her to a local vet, and when they couldn’t help her there, Starfish Animal Rescue, a no-kill rescue organization based in northern Illinois, arranged to transport her to the shelter here.