Adoption update: The tail wag that wiggled one dog home

With a luxurious stretch, Sage rolls onto her back at her new home to soak up the Houston sunshine, paws in the air like she personally requested the forecast. With her morning walk — complete with squirrel surveillance — already checked off her to-do list, Sage is ready to claim her favorite spot for her favorite activity: conducting inventory on her ever-growing hoard of toys.

Not long ago, Sage traded the red rocks of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, for the Southern charm of Houston — and for Liz Tran, who met Sage while she was visiting the Sanctuary to volunteer. What started as sweet snuggles before Liz’s volunteer shifts turned into a full-on love connection.

When Sage arrived at the Sanctuary from a shelter, staff discovered she needed knee surgery to relieve pain and stabilize her joint. After a successful procedure and recovery, she was ready for her next chapter.

At the Sanctuary, Sage had a way of doing things in her own time, especially her walks. She would howl to let you know it was “walk-30” and she was ready to go. Then, she would root through her mountain of toys to choose which one was coming along for her walk. And sometimes, midway through her walk, she’d flop down for a nice nap in the sun. The girl knows what she likes.

In addition to her toy collection, Sage also was notorious at the Sanctuary for giving exuberant tail wags. “Her tail would go thwap, thwap, thwap when she saw her favorite people,” Liz says. “And when I realized I was a recipient of her tail thwap, I felt so honored.”

Liz met Sage before her first volunteer shift. She arrived early to check in, and when she saw Sage buried in her toys, she knew she had to meet her.

“I knew I loved her the first time I met her,” Liz says.

Happy tails from big dogs in their new homes

Still, Liz wasn’t sure about adopting. With the knee surgery Sage had undergone, Liz wanted to be sure she could support all of Sage’s needs, such as having to be lifted into the car — especially because Liz’s Jeep sat high off the ground.

But during Liz's second visit to the Sanctuary, something shifted.

“I would come in early to see her and stay late to say goodbye,” Liz says. “That’s when I knew I couldn’t go home without her.” Sage was going to be a Texan.

Given Sage’s legendary toy trove at the Sanctuary, Liz expected her new family member to spend most of her time playing.

Instead, Sage had other plans.

“She still grabs a toy when she gets really excited,” Liz says. “Every morning when I start putting on my shoes, she picks her ‘toy of the moment’ and prances around the living room with it while she waits.”

But the toy never makes it very far. “She immediately drops it because there are just too many things to smell,” Liz says.

Blind dog can still find his favorite things

Late mornings bring one of Sage’s favorite rituals: backyard squirrel patrol.

Sage will position herself with her nose pressed against the window, ready for the moment Liz opens the door to the backyard. She bolts out and conducts a full perimeter investigation, ensuring no squirrels have invaded her space. But before long, the call of the sunny grass wins. She’ll sprawl in the grass, chasing the sunny spots while she dozes.

For Liz, adopting Sage brought something unexpected: joy she hadn’t realized she was missing. After losing her previous dogs, Liz had spent two years without one. Life went on, but it felt quieter.

“With Sage, I want to get up early,” Liz says. “I want to see her enjoy the simple things in life. I want to give her the routine and stability she deserves.”

Sage had plenty of fans at the Sanctuary, each one loving her for her quirks, her toy collection, and her enthusiastic greetings. But the bond she formed with Liz — built slowly, sweetly, one snuggle at a time — is something deeper.

Today, Sage is right at home in Houston with Liz. She spends her mornings patrolling for squirrels and her evenings curled up beside the person who couldn’t imagine life without her.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.