Nadja
A donation was made in memory of Nadja on Aug 22, 2014.
NADJA
We were so excited to pick up our new little girl at the airport. It was love at first sight. At just eleven weeks of age, Nadja, as just a little fluff-ball of a puppy, flew cross-country from her breeder in Aiken, South Carolina, to join us. She grew fast into a strong, resolute, and most beautiful German Shepherd. From the start Nadja possessed a quiet strength about her, and it was immediately clear she was more than “just a Dog”: she was a luminous personality filled with dignity, wisdom, patience, common sense, loyalty, courage, leadership, boundless energy, and a very keen sense of humor and capacity for having fun, to name only just a few of her many virtues – we are convinced she could read minds, among other talents.
She became the real Alpha Dog in our family, even though we had a number of large male German Shepherds already in residence, including our dear huge Nigel, who had come to our family with his two broken front legs just four weeks before Nadja’s arrival and who was nominally called our Household Commanding Officer. But even Nigel would be the first to agree that Nadja was the true Executive Officer! Nadja was also the voice of reason in our family. We surely would have taken in many more Dogs than we have done, had it not been for Nadja weighing in and giving either her approval or her rejection of potential new family members. We depended on Nadja’s insight and intuition as to who would fit in and she knew it, and she gracefully accepted and fulfilled her position of trust in our family.
In September of 2013 we rushed Nadja to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for care and physical therapy after she suddenly collapsed and could not walk due to what was diagnosed as FCE, or “a stroke to the spine”. She had to be left at the hospital because her lengthy treatment included several sessions of hydrotherapy on an underwater treadmill. The vet student working with Nadja kindly called us each day with the status of her progress, and he indicated she was not progressing as quickly as hoped. So, Mike (Nadja’s Dad) made the trip back to Pullman to visit her. Mike stood at the end of the pool and, with Nadja’s eyes fixed on him, she almost sprinted on the treadmill so she could get to her Dad, impressing everyone in the room. She was able to go home! Thereafter, despite the onset of cancer, then the amputation of a toe, and several radiation treatments (and more long stays at the hospital) Nadja spent one more cherished year with us, giving us time to try to accept that she was preparing to go on to her next adventure.
Although Nadja is not physically with us, it is clear she is watching over us, including continuing to convey to us her opinion on new members of the family. We knew Nadja had to move on, but we are still lost without her. There is a profound void and palpable quietness in our household now. We are forever grateful to Nadja for instantly becoming such a deeply-imbued and integral soul to our lives. We love you and miss you so, our dearly beloved Noodle-Doodle, and we will do so forever and ever. Your loving family, Holly and Mike, and all the dogs and cats.
Mike & Holly A. and family
We were so excited to pick up our new little girl at the airport. It was love at first sight. At just eleven weeks of age, Nadja, as just a little fluff-ball of a puppy, flew cross-country from her breeder in Aiken, South Carolina, to join us. She grew fast into a strong, resolute, and most beautiful German Shepherd. From the start Nadja possessed a quiet strength about her, and it was immediately clear she was more than “just a Dog”: she was a luminous personality filled with dignity, wisdom, patience, common sense, loyalty, courage, leadership, boundless energy, and a very keen sense of humor and capacity for having fun, to name only just a few of her many virtues – we are convinced she could read minds, among other talents.
She became the real Alpha Dog in our family, even though we had a number of large male German Shepherds already in residence, including our dear huge Nigel, who had come to our family with his two broken front legs just four weeks before Nadja’s arrival and who was nominally called our Household Commanding Officer. But even Nigel would be the first to agree that Nadja was the true Executive Officer! Nadja was also the voice of reason in our family. We surely would have taken in many more Dogs than we have done, had it not been for Nadja weighing in and giving either her approval or her rejection of potential new family members. We depended on Nadja’s insight and intuition as to who would fit in and she knew it, and she gracefully accepted and fulfilled her position of trust in our family.
In September of 2013 we rushed Nadja to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for care and physical therapy after she suddenly collapsed and could not walk due to what was diagnosed as FCE, or “a stroke to the spine”. She had to be left at the hospital because her lengthy treatment included several sessions of hydrotherapy on an underwater treadmill. The vet student working with Nadja kindly called us each day with the status of her progress, and he indicated she was not progressing as quickly as hoped. So, Mike (Nadja’s Dad) made the trip back to Pullman to visit her. Mike stood at the end of the pool and, with Nadja’s eyes fixed on him, she almost sprinted on the treadmill so she could get to her Dad, impressing everyone in the room. She was able to go home! Thereafter, despite the onset of cancer, then the amputation of a toe, and several radiation treatments (and more long stays at the hospital) Nadja spent one more cherished year with us, giving us time to try to accept that she was preparing to go on to her next adventure.
Although Nadja is not physically with us, it is clear she is watching over us, including continuing to convey to us her opinion on new members of the family. We knew Nadja had to move on, but we are still lost without her. There is a profound void and palpable quietness in our household now. We are forever grateful to Nadja for instantly becoming such a deeply-imbued and integral soul to our lives. We love you and miss you so, our dearly beloved Noodle-Doodle, and we will do so forever and ever. Your loving family, Holly and Mike, and all the dogs and cats.
Mike & Holly A. and family
