Sadie, Lucky and Cody

by Linda Reiter
(Lansdale PA)

I was looking through old pictures of all my dogs, trying to pick out the best of them for a scrap book for my three best friends that are now gone and my best friend that is still with me. The memories have overwhelmed me. The three that are gone were so different and I miss them so much.

Sadie. She was the first dog I owned as an adult. She was her own dog. She was an escape artist who put Houdini to shame. When she was two, she opened two doors and got outside. She ran in front of a truck and was run over. She was barely breathing when we got her to the vet. She was very badly injured.

Thankfully, the vet was a very good vet. Between his skill, lots of love and patience, and her will to live, she was with us for another 11 years. It was a challenge to find ways of keeping her safe. But one well worth it. She was a fun-loving dog up to the end. And she loved to pose for pictures.

Lucky. She was a stray we brought home so she wouldn't be taken to the pound. She must have been horribly abused because she was afraid of everything. She would get overwhelmed and sit in a corner for an hour or so. She eventually began to realize we didn't beat dogs and do things that would hurt her.

She turned out to be a loyal, loving girl. She was only with us for two years. She was in a dog fight protecting my daughter. She died as a result of that fight. One consolation we have is that the last year or so, she hardly ever went into a corner. Most of her fears were gone. She lived, at least for a short while, the life of a dog who is loved and well taken care of.

Cody. He was my devil dog. He had many demons which caused him to be very aggressive. Thankfully, he was a little guy whom we could scoop up quickly if needed. He would attack most people who would try to pat him.

We got him from the SPCA. He didn't like to be hugged or patted at first. He learned to like it and even come ask to be hugged. But he never got over his demons. No matter what we tried, he was still very aggressive.

At age 12, we had to have him put down because he was trying to attack me and my daughter regularly. No vet or trainer could help us with him. At least he learned how to love and be loved. He learned how to play and for the most part was a sweet little dog.

I hope it is a very long time before I have to say anything about Deed.