Kids & Family

Plucked from Certain Death, Sadie Has Her Happy Ending

The black pit bull languished at Hamden Animal Control for almost 11 months and was ordered to be killed, but a man half way across the country came to her rescue. Now she's living the good life.


Nine months after she was sprung from the confines of Hamden Animal Control, Sadie the black pit bull is thriving in her new home in Nebraska.

Sadie spent 11 months in the custody of Hamden Animal Control, and despite numerous pleas on social media and Hamden Patch, no one expressed any interest in the black mutt. And then she received a death sentence, and the search for a new home instantly intensified.

But now Sadie is the poster child for the power of social media in animal rescue. Her story was shared online in numerous forums, until finally her forever home found her.

Her savior came in the form of Nebraska resident Charlie Cifarelli, who saw her on Facebook and decided that she would not die. He personally drove to Connecticut to pick her up in last October, just days before she was slated to die.

Sadie had been pulled from the shelter by Angel Capone Pitbull Rescue and taken to a vet, where she was checked out and given a bath and prepared to meet her new father.

"I was a bit hesitant when Charlie told me that we were able to adopt Sadie — mainly because I read the posts about her supposed kennel rage and we have a Jack Russell," said Cifarelli's fiancee Jenn Sanchez. "But, a dog was in need and that's all that mattered.

The initial meeting was a bit rocky but it was only uphill from there, Sanchez said.

"When Charlie picked up Sadie from Connecticut, she was a bit stand-offish but who could blame her?" she said. "She gave Charlie a hug as if to say 'thank you for saving me.'" 

The ride across the country was tough on the dog who had spent a year in a kennel.

"They set off towards Nebraska and Charlie quickly noticed that Sadie was carsick....her nerves were not helping the situation," she said. "The poor girl had no clue where she was going. Charlie even had to turn off the GPS on the vehicle — the woman's voice scared Sadie. To make matters worse - Charlie ended up getting a flat tire.

"Long story short - the ordeal made the two bond. After the tire was changed, things began to calm down and Sadie was riding in the front seat," she said.

And when they got home, it only got better for the once unwanted pup.
 
"When they arrived home, Sadie has blankets, food, toys, a pillow and a large ottoman to sleep on - she had no idea what to do!" she said. 

They took no chances while introducing Sadie to her new fur sibling, she said, but in the end the two have become best friends.

"We kept Sadie and Pete (our JRT) separated for quite some time as we wanted to Sadie to decompress and get adjusted to her new life. When Sadie would go for a walk she would look up at the sky, and often she would sit and close here eyes as if she was just taking it all in," Sanchez said.

"Sadie has adjusted so well - especially with Pete. They are now best friends and do everything together," she said. "When Pete gets up in the morning he goes to Sadie's door so the two of them can go play tag in the yard. I will often find the two of them snoozing together on the couch." 

And now she's living the good life, she said.

"Over time we introduced Sadie to new foods - apples, bananas, chicken are among her favorite. Sadie loves to nap....and she has quite the snore! She sleeps with her favorite blanket and her two stuffed animals."

And so the dog that waited so long for a home has her happy ending.

"Sadie has the biggest heart and has more love in her than most people. She is a great friend to have - she follows me everywhere! Whether is washing clothes or putting dishes in the dishwasher she is right next to me," Sanchez said. 

"We call her Miss Sadie - she is so proper and neat. She is no longer carsick - she loves rides to the park and to Petco to pick out a new toy. We all have a special relationship with Sadie - couldn't imagine life without her!"


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