The picture of the big yellow head in the middle of the blankets came to this loving family 8 years ago.  They called her Sadie Badger after watching a video on the Honey Badger who wasn’t afraid of anything!  Sadie, like the Badger, wasn’t afraid of anything.

Initially the Badger came to live with the three dark-haired girls in the photo.  She came as a puppy and lived happily with Emma and Toby, the two other dogs that lived in the house.  They played with each other and had a happy life until one day when the big yellow head had an unhappy triad and tore her ACL, MCL, and LCL.  Never did the dark-haired girls think that would change the living arrangements for ever.  When Sadie came home from her surgery, she must have had a different “smell” about her because Emma, the dog that had always been so playful with Sadie, fought with her ripping open her unhappy triad surgery.  At first, the girls didn’t understand what had happened but they knew they couldn’t leave the two dogs alone again in case something like that happened again; at least without  some training.

So, to keep their family together, they hired a dog behavioralist.  As much as they worked with the two dogs, the training did not take heed and the two dogs fought again, this time landing Sadie in the hospital again.  That was it, they had to get rid of one of the dogs and the choice was devastating.  Both dogs were beloved pets and the thought of getting rid of one of them or worse yet, putting one of them down, was not a situation they cared to entertain.

They kept both of the dogs separated in cages at home until the decision could be made but luckily for them, the decision came out of “nowhere.”  Of course to me, the decision came from God.  The mother of one of the girls in the picture decided she’d take Sadie “for awhile” until they could find permanent arrangements for her.  The girls, sad but still glad that Sadie would be able to “Badger about” freely again jumped at the temporary solution.

Something happened at Dianne’s house (the mother who volunteered to take Sadie temporarily.). Dianne fell in love, and so did the Badger.  The Badger turned from the puppy who wasn’t afraid of anything to the Queen who loved the Princess Dianne.  Sadie protected her, loved her, watched over her and Dianne did the same.  But Sadie’s life was not to be smooth sailing.  She was diagnosed with a Mast cell tumor on her leg, a hard place to surgically remove but the vets got out most of it, but not all.  They were all hopeful, but the margins of the tumor did not reveal the best of outcomes.

In the meantime, another type of cancer crept its way into Sadie’s life, this one worse than the last, and terminal.  In hopes to prolong her life, they did a splenectomy but then the cancer metastasized to the liver and it was only a matter of time.  In fact, only 6 weeks after the splenectomy.  On her last day, she refused to eat, refused to get up, and she only had eyes for Dianne and Dianne poured her soul out to Sadie.  Nothing less than  heart-felt loss between the two who loved each other dearly.

Slowly, Sadie slipped into that dark night and onto that Rainbow Bridge with the 4 people who loved her most surrounding her.  “It’s an honor to be present and assist someone to the other side,” and these 4 people had the honors Sunday afternoon.

My heart bleeds for my youngest daughter and her wife who lost their Badger, my heart goes out to my oldest daughter who lost her Big Yellow Head, but I guess my heart goes out the most to the woman -Princess Dianne, who lost her constant companion.  May each of you remember Sadie in your own way that gives you the most joy.

I picture Sadie playing with Toby who left us for the Rainbow Bridge just 6 months ago.  They are joined by all our other pets who left before we had enough of them.  They are joined by the people we have loved as well, each having their own big family reunion on the bridge.

As I look at the picture one last time before leaving this post, I see the loving eyes of Sadie on her Princess.  God bless you Sadie. May you never feel pain again.