5. Sadie is making decisions, while we worry about the future

Sadie has become quite clear about her preferences, especially where she wants her bed and where she wants to eat. Earlier this week, though, she refused her tea, which is her main meal, and ran under the bed ( no reason that we knew of,(( which is par for the course)) I did not want to coax her out with treats, so I left the food by the bedroom door as a compromise. After 20 minutes, with Sadie still under the bed, I put the food back in the fridge for later. She eventually came out, I did not offer her, her dinner until supper time (I like to think I'm in charge) and we spent a pleasant evening on the sofa, with Sammy in his usual spot on my lap, watching television avidly for animals he could bark at—apparently a Chihuahua trait, I do get them dont I !

I have also been unwell with a nasty cold this week. At first, my sneezing and coughing frightened Sadie, and she would rush off to her guzunder (did you look it up?). Gradually, though, her recovery time grew shorter. Then she began stopping only at the doorway, and now she often stays put, responding with little more than an annoyed look and an ear flick while remaining on the sofa or the pouffe.

On mention of her ears, these were mainly flat on arrival, (fear, check out her photos when in Romania) then they where half mast and very occasionally one half mast the other up. They are now up most of the time up (I've never had a dog with up ears, so its quite a novelty). They flick back , go down when frightended or something scares her but do come up pretty quickly now (ok, its little things that get me).

The pouffe is quite large, and Sadie seems to have claimed it as her's, many of the toys now live there. While tidying up, I put the toys from the pouffe and the floor, into the toy box. When I left the room and came back, every toy had been returned to the pouffe, along with those from the bed. It made us laugh, though the scene became even funnier when Sadie could barely climb onto the pouffe because the toys kept falling off. Each time she tried to pick one up, she knocked more onto the floor. This went on for a while until she began to look annoyed, and Sammy was clearly unimpressed too, as some of the toys were his and he wanted them back. In the end, I stepped in: some toys went back onto their beds, some into the toy box, and the rest—mostly Sadie’s—I left on the pouffe. All these quirky dogs!

Our morning routine is much the same, with Sadie creeping out one day and racing out the next. She has now mastered “sit” and “paw”, but she has also invented a new game. As I sit on the steps in the morning to the patio, Sadie runs up behind me, places a paw on my shoulder, and waits for her cheese. I gave in at once, of course, so this has now become part of our routine too.

Although this is all encouraging and she is gaining confidence in some areas, progress still feels very slow but some people say it isn't in the circumstances. Her world remains very small: the kitchen is still frightening at times and after breakfast the garden is still off limits when we are with her.

Worrying about the future

I am still angry that the information given to Diane, the UK organiser, was so wrong, misleading and quite ludicrous considering, I have recently learned that Sadie’s rescuer and fosterer was also her vet ! and that her partner runs the transport company she came over with! (and disappeared with). I fail to see how someone who rescued, looked after for months including spaying and tests, vaccinations etc.. failed to know her size, as well as the terrible condition Sadie was in and what a scared little thing she was.

Rags to Riches is also still awaiting Piki also, who was supposed to travel with Sadie and co, we have expected him 3 times now, with various or no known reasons given for the delay?. We however are told he will arrive in July. Fingers crossed everyone please. Lets get little Piki home, he is reserved to long suffering new adoptees and his foster mum over here, Lisa is corncerned for him as we all are.

How our circumstances have changed

I am increasingly worried about the future. We are very fond of Sadie, but the practicalities of keeping her are difficult, and if she had been the dog we were told to expect, things would be very different.

Why this matters so much

We used to have a caravan but sold it when we could no longer manage it. Then we had Alfie, a large reactive Jack Russell cross, and for the last four years of his life we barely went away at all. Our family, who all live up north, had to come to us, now difficult as the family has grown over the years. Then we lost Alfie and Poppy (a born deaf,Parsons Russell) within two weeks of each, other and Bizzy was as lost and bereft as we were.

When Carmen at Birda asked Rags to Riches for help with Sammy’s vet fees and eye operation, Jane, one of our trustees, met him during a visit to Romania and suggested we foster him (knowing full well we would keep him). He came, we all loved him, and he stayed. Suddenly we all felt we had our life back. At our age and with our health, that felt wonderful. We could visit Jim’s family again, take weekends away, and go on holiday. The dogs love it too and have become seasoned travellers.

Why I thought Sadie might fit in ( if she had been the size we expected)

I have kept and rescued big dogs, including Boxers, and at one point had seven without any problems. But over the years our circumstances have changed. We are both starting to get on bit, I have a disability and often need a walker or scooter, and my two little dogs are used to that, as is Bertie. With my husband unwell with a cold and COPD, I took Bizzy and Sammy round the village today using only my stick. Another small dog might have been manageable and, with Bizzy now elderly, could have been a companion for Sammy.

I arranged to foster in January, we had already booked a holiday in North Wales with family. We imagined Nellie as a puppy would be adopted quickly, Missy was already reserved, and tiny Sadie ( ha ha), if still here, could have come too. Helping a very small, traumatised dog is much easier, as we have seen before. You can take them out without leaving the car, pick them up if they are frightened, and slowly build their confidence.

Bizzy was once terrified of leaving the house and shook when carried to the car, so we started by simply sitting in it for five minutes, then gradually extending it. A few weeks later, we drove to the village and back until eventually she was happy travelling and ran through the gate with a wagging tail, ready to go out in the car. Because she was frightened of traffic, I used my scooter and let her sit on my knee, following the same gradual routine until she became used to the noise, then little walk up our quiet street and built on it. After that, we were able to walk her, and now even large lorries do not faze her. We did the same with Hope, a little traumatised old dog who had been dumped at the RSPCA just after giving birth at age twelve. Sammy arrived and went for every dog he met; he was scared, I spent my time teaching him I was the protector not him. Other than that he was and still is a treasure (Pirate treasure?🏴‍☠️)  He is now loved by so many people and dogs and wants to greet all dogs and people he meets now. There have been a few more rescues, each with their own story but happy endings, but then I could go on all day.

Why rehoming currently does not feel right

Neither of us can carry Sadie, so we are stuck in that respect. We do love her, and we feel that moving her now, or in the near future to another home, would not only be cruel but could re-traumatise her and send her back to the awful state she was in when she first arrived, we have talked it through and through and we can't do that, our hearts won't let us, 'unless' a very super human came forward, and they are about a easy to find as unicorns and dragons (but I do believe in both🐉🦄).

Sammy does not bother with her at the moment, though I think he may yet. Sadie has started to follow him around, and he does allow her to snuggle next to him, which I suspect he enjoys for the warmth. Had we had similar sized dogs that again may have helped move her on quicker.

The immediate reality.  The Holiday.

For now, Jim is staying home with Sadie. I’m taking Sammy and Bizzy with me. He does not drive, and we need my car space, but he doesn't mind missing noisy children. (grumpy grampy 🙈)I am going on holiday for five days and will be leaving them, which worries me a lot. Although Sadie is more comfortable with Jim now, I am still her main caregiver and her person.

As for our plans for the rest of the year, they have gone out of the window. Unfortunately, family up north, some of whom are not dog people may not understand that this is because of a dog.( they think we are quite mad anyhow so won't make much difference 🤪). I dread to think of the comments we may get (or possibly not hear 🙃)

It is hard not to feel angry that one person’s misinformation, which to me would have been impossible to do in the circumstances, as Sadie’s vet, rescuer, and fosterer has turned our lives upside down. I know i'm repeating myself but grrrrrr🤬, I hope she/they read this as I intend to send it to her.

Footnote: I know a number of dogs arrive traumatised, I know some are worse than Sadie, many like Missy are able to adjust relatively quickly. The rescuers that we normally work with are honest, kind and caring people, information is given, our fosterer's usually know what they will have to deal with. Sadie is a huge example of why people should NOT direct adopt from other countries. But should use a good, registered charity like Rags to Riches who foster and assess each dog in our homes before they go to adoptees - who have also been assessed, allowing the dog and new family to be matched as suitable as possible.

I HAVE NO DOUBT'S HAD SADIE BEEN A DIRECT ADOPTION SHE WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE STAYED, SHE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN A DOG RESCUE LIKE THE R.S.P.C.A. WHERE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN PUT TO SLEEP, OR ESCAPED AND GOODNESS KNOWS WHAT , OR PASSED ON AND ON AND ON AND POSSIBLY TO END UP AS DOG FIGHT BAIT.