Yesterday, Donna Nicosia made reservations for Sally to fly to Portland, Oregon, with her new owner, Cathy Cary, on Monday, March 16. Thanks for all of your support in making this rescue possible.

Donna is buying a travel crate required by the airlines and gathering the appropriate veterinary clearance certificates and forms. Donna has needed every penny of the $2,000 we raised for Sally’s veterinary care and travel costs.

Thank you for helping us to do this. It was my final promise to Susan, and Donna’s as well.

Her new owner is flying east to New Jersey from Portland, Oregon, to fly next to Sally in the passenger compartment to Oregon so Sally won’t have to fly in baggage, something we resisted.

I took this photo in Susan’s Cambridge, N.Y., home more than a year ago, soon after Susan moved in. It speaks for itself. It makes me sad to see it. It is one thing to die, something all of us will do.

It is another thing to waste one’s stressful life. That is different, at least for me.

Dogs love us so much they share our suffering and pain and often pay for it.

Sally was by Susan’s side every day of her long and arduous journey. She is getting another chance.

Every day, I learn the importance of being kind to other people, especially the young.

Betty Parslow did a remarkable job of flipping this terrified and bewildered dog, who rarely went outside, saw the sun, or other dogs. She avoided people, comforted Susan, through years of illness and loneliness.

We had hoped Bette, who loves Sally, might find a way to keep her with her in New Jersey; Sally is thriving with her. But Bette has good and sound reasons for letting her go; she is not able to keep another dog for several sound reasons.

Photo By Donna Nicosia, Sally today.

None of us have any desire to pressure Bette, she has been heroic, and Donna is convinced she is going to the right home at the right time.

Donna reports that almost all of Sally’s fears have been overcome, something I would not have believed possible from seeing Sally many times. The last months of  Sally’s life with Susan were awful, I now know.

It was a beautiful thing to see how Donna stepped up to take responsibility for Sally and her fate, I couldn’t do that, I was with Susan in the hospital, and I’m not sure I could have done nearly as well.

Sally goes all over Bette’s house now; at first, she wouldn’t enter Bette’s bedroom. She is learning to eliminate outside.

She takes the lead on her daily walks with Bette’s other two dogs. She is curious about everyone she meets and approaches them – something she never did.

She has begun playing with Bette’s other dogs, running and doing spins and other games. Her yeast and skin infections are healing rapidly, and Sally now loves being brushed, which happens daily. Her matted coat is smooth and clean.

Sally has been through enough; she’s not done yet. She loves being cared for.

Sally has some bumpy days of adjustment ahead of her. She is 10 years old and was never socialized in any way.

Cathy is up for it and committed to her care. That’s a long trip for Sally, and a lot to adjust to – again.

I was uneasy about her going so far away, but when Susan died, it didn’t matter where she went, as long as she was loved by someone patient and loving.

Donna – [email protected] –  (and Bette) –  have done an extraordinary, above-and-beyond job of fostering Sally and turning her life around in the face of tragedy and neglect. She knows now that she can trust other people and be with other dogs.

I can’t claim this story has a happy ending, given the circumstances, but I can say with confidence that Sally will get the best possible care and the best chance for rebirth and a good and safe life.

Someday, there will be large groups of people working together all over the country to rescue and heal and re-home needy humans.

Perhaps our love of dogs will pave the way and show us how to do it.