Sassy came to me back in March – and honestly, as a single man, I wasn’t too sure about a nice little lady-cocker named “Sassy” to show off to all of my friends….just wasn’t sure this was the most “manly” dog I could be adopting, but I did remember my love for Cocker Spaniels and was willing to drive to meet Sassy – even if for just the experience of going through the process.I ended up falling for Sassy the moment I met her. She was excited to meet me, yet a little timid and unsure as to what was going on. Her back legs quivered as she tried to process all the new people she had been meeting and the new places she had been. I was informed at that time that Sassy had some signs of atrophy and wasn’t as “limber” as she probably once was – she is 11 years old. Her wonderful and loving foster parents informed me of her mild skin condition but also of the love she showed and the bond they formed with her in just 1 week of having her in their home.
Obviously, I fell for her regardless of the mild things we would work through and I took her home that day. She was anxious to sleep on the foot of my bed on the first night in my home. I have two cats that were none too excited to meet their new housemate – but Sassy was friendly and they soon came to accept her as part of the family.
A special part of Sassy’s new life in my home is that I work and live at a Christian Camp in the Woods of Southern PA – we run a summer program for children and also host retreats for folks of all ages throughout the rest of the year. Once Sassy became comfortable with her new home (and feline brothers) it was time to introduce her to the rest of the Camp and the hundreds of folks that come through our facilities each weekend. I picked a slow weekend to take her out on her first walk around the property to greet the retreat groups. I was shocked at how “natural” this was for her. She joyfully goes up to each person she meets – seemingly one by one – and insists on a quick “hello” or a pat on the head – and then she moves on to the next person – she doesn’t leave you alone unless you acknowledge her in some friendly way. She has grown into the most loving & welcoming host that I could ask for. Even folks who are not partial to dogs are open to Sassy, and she soon wins them over. Sometimes people are slightly intimidated by her when she may be barking – and I simply have to ask them to “say hello” and as soon as they do – she quiets down and walks away. Sassy enjoys waking up every morning and preparing for our long walk through the woods – which always ends at the office where she can greet my fellow employees and find her place at the front door to wait for customers or the UPS man. Children and adults of all ages love Sassy and look forward to seeing her every time they come to visit. Sassy has no issues with roaming and insists on staying near people. The only negative issue we’ve had with work is that she HATES to leave the office at the end of each day – I’m sure folks would get a good laugh at seeing me arguing with Sassy at the end of each day about whether or not it’s actually time to go home – she does know who’s boss – but she holds her own and lives up to her name at times.
One inspiring story that came about because of Sassy’s presence at Camp Eder is that – as I mention before – she came to me with atrophy and I wasn’t expecting her to be very athletic; I was prepared to tend to any issues that might arise because of her weakening muscles. When she came to me, she could not run at a full speed, she could not jump onto the sofa or bed, and had a hard time climbing stairs of any size. For the first few weeks, I carried her into and out of the house, I lifted her onto her bed, and helped her on and off of furniture – as she loves to sit with me on the couch. I also didn’t push her too much with our walks and simply allowed her to take the short (but tiring) walk with me to the office each morning and let her stay around the office area throughout each day. I learned also that she loves Golf Cart rides – I tried to make sure she wasn’t exerting too much.
As Sassy become more and more anxious to meet new folks each week, she also began to push herself physically and would walk with me more and more each day. As children began to show up in the summer, Sassy became more and more excited to go outside and play with them in the yard. The children were taught how to play with Sassy – gently- and we would allow the kids to “play fetch” with her (she never chased anything at first – but they would try). Sometimes she would get bursts of energy and run a little with the kids here and there.
Over time, Sassy’s limberness and energy seemed to come back to her. Soon, she was running – full speed – around the yard and through the trails chasing and keeping up with the children as they played. One day, a black lab was visiting Camp and we were playing fetch with a tennis ball with our guest. To the surprise of everyone – Sassy wouldn’t be up-staged and she decided in that moment that she was going to fetch and that she was going to beat the Black Lab – she did – and continues to play fetch to this day.
There is an older couple who volunteers at our Camp and they have shared many times that Sassy has inspired them to keep working hard and staying active. They have an inspiring view of how Sassy’s atrophy and health issues seemed to subside the more she became active and involved in those around her. She has inspired this couple to stay volunteering with us – even after they were considering retiring from their volunteer work. “It’s important to stay active….just look at that dog,” Mr. Druck would say. I love to hear him talk about Sassy and how she has inspired them.
Changing Sassy’s food to a grain-free food, I’m sure, was also a big help to bring her lots of energy and a vibrant spirit. Switching from a corn-meal based food to a chicken-based food has eliminated her skin irritations (no more Benadryl) and has also cured what seemed to be some chronic constipation that she had (and issues with mucous) – or maybe the anxiety of the move added to that. But her digestive issues have also subsided and things seem very healthy in that department.
Sassy sits by me as I type this email and I’m happy to say that I feel very blessed to have her as part of my life. I actually do NOT consider myself a “dog person” and haven’t had a dog for many years; but I am extremely glad that I pursued this option with CSAC and ended up with my sassy dog, Sassy. Thank you for making her presence in our lives possible.
- The Patterson Family
I am so beyond happy to read this!!! Sassy was very blessed to have you find her!
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