Sadie, Trish, and Joel have been a therapy dog team since January 2023, a year after Sadie was adopted from Golden Bond Rescue. Sadie, a golden retriever, was born in Taiwan, found stray, and came to the US in 2016. She was fully grown and weighed only 30 lbs! Through no fault of her own, Sadie had 3 different homes in Washington and Oregon before she stuck the landing with Joel and Trish.

Trish, a retired veterinarian, became acquainted with pet-assisted therapy when it was a new program in the mid-1980’s, taking both a dog and a cat for visits to a nursing home in Ithaca, NY. Life and career put therapy dog work on hold until retirement.

After Trish and Joel adopted Sadie, they realized she was a natural for therapy dog work, given her calm demeanor, love of people, and a habit of “parking” her muzzle between people’s knees.  Between her regular visits to Cascade Manor, Heartfelt / Ronald McDonald House, and PeaceHealth’s Riverbend hospital, Sadie visits the U of O Law school and music school. She is a new visitor to Fox Hollow Assisted Living and is awaiting her first assignment as a hospice volunteer. Sadie has enjoyed almost 150 visits since January of 2023 and delights in any ride in the car, attention, and treats.