This was such a good book but it was also a tearjerkfer Cause let's face it any nonfiction book with a dog on the cover is indeed going to be a tearjerker.

The first half of the book was very touching and heartfelt, and the narrative made you empathize with her mom and her, and you felt fot her: all the money and effort needed to help Sadie, all the pain and cruelty ahe had been thru, all the good intentions to save her... not to say how hard that beginning had to have been, with a special needs dog which needed so much care and attention.
But then the book went downhill for me: too much detail in things like a radio interview, or things that turned redundant o repetitive... I mind of understand how the author wanted to relay to us how she felt and what did she think, but sometimes it turned out so much and made the reading progress slower as we were circling around the same issue.
All in all was nice to see what love and fighting for a dog can really make, see how they touched so many lives and how Sadie got to be saved and have a second chance at live.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a true story of the dog named Sadie who had been horrifically abused and then shot and how Joal came to her rescue when nobody else wanted her and even the vets recommended putting her down. I love dogs and animal stories and this is a great heartwarming story of love and a lot of perseverance on the part of Joal fighting to let Sadie have a chance at life. The first half of the book kept me interested but then it lost me after that due to feeling it was so repetitious of the first half. I believe this is an excellent story and needs to be told to create even more awareness of animal abuse and the people that work so hard so save them but it could have been done in about half the length. I found it very disappointing that Joal's children were so unsupportive of her efforts with Sadie.
It is a good story about Joal and Sadie but it is definitely in need of some editing.

Sadie was four years old when she had a litter of puppies and was shot in the back and head and left for dead. She was brought to a no-kill shelter where she was found by animal lover Joal who ended up on a mission to save Sadie's life and ended up having Sadie change her life in return.

This is a really sweet book though it's hard to read sometimes when you think about how sweet Sadie is and the horrible thing that was done to her and left her almost a paraplegic.

I really admire Joal for all of her work with Sadie. She practically took on a full time job with Sadie (something that was mentioned several times throughout the book) but she did really have to put in so much time and effort, and still does, to help Sadie live her best life.

I felt a bit angry on Joal's behalf when she mentioned how even after years of helping and loving Sadie, and Sadie changing Joal's life in return her family were still not on board. I don't understand how you can't admire something like that and love Sadie. Surely there's a great lesson for the grandchildren there in loving except the odds and never giving up hope, not to mention the lessons about acceptance and working hard.

This a great book and a great story and I'm definitely going to be following Sadie's journey from now on.

This beautiful book about a desperately abused and broken dog and her rescuer warmed my heart and inspired me to be more compassionate. Sadie and Joal's journey is sometimes daunting but through it all you see progress and an understanding that it's the little things that day by day add up and make a fulfilling and joyful life. Have the kleenex ready for the tears of sadness and joy.

This is a very heartwarming tale of a woman who adopts a dog with special needs. Joal has a big heart for taking Sadie on. Full of emotion and very well written. it will appeal to animal lovers everywhere. Have the box of tissues at the ready! Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for the chance to read this wonderful book!

Animal memoirs are among my favorite types of books; as an animal lover myself I can always appreciate the bond between an animal and their human friend. I love to read about that bond, how it grows and changes as the years pass, and this book does a give a fantastic glimpse into the life of Sadie, and her owner Joal.

Sadie's life didn't begin as the happy one we hope for all animals. Instead, badly abused and close to death, Sadie was rescued and found herself in an animal shelter. Joal herself doesn't know what made her stop that day and take Sadie with her; unfortunately Sadie's story is not altogether uncommon. But stop she did, and by doing so discovers more about herself and makes many connections and friendships that may never have existed otherwise.

This book presents really well, even in Kindle form. There are plenty of pictures of both Sadie and the important people in her life. The writing is crisp and concise, and yet still full of emotion that ties you into the story. The first thing you probably will do is check out Sadie's facebook page for more information, like I did. Even as you finish the book, you just want more of the magic of Sadie.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the clear timeline of events, and the slow build up form both word of mouth and press releases to help Sadie. You know she is absolutely loved, of that there is a never a doubt, but it is fantastic to read of the human response. As the author herself says a few times, yes, there are tragic stories every day, but even taking five minutes to share or a single dollar can make a difference. Sadie's message is both beautiful and poignant.

A fantastic animal book, I hope everyone can experience a little Sadie magic for themselves. Five stars.

This story reads like a very long blog post. There is too much detail in the mundane, usually in a bragging way. This book was more the author talking about what a fabulous hero she is for rescuing Sadie than the dog's story of survival and will to live; which the later was what I wanted to read about. I read another memoir about a person caring for a seriously ill dog, Gizelle's Bucket List, which let the reader know the scope of the person's sacrifice in caring for the dog, but never once came across as the author tooting her own horn. This was a huge turn off to me, and that's a shame because I loved the little bits about Sadie, and the friends she made along the way.

I love reading stories about animals and that's why this one caught my attention.

Joal has a big heart where animals are concerned and donated to animal shelters. She was donating to one and saw a dog named Sadie who had just given birth to puppies and was then shot between her eyes and in her back (leaving her paralyzed) and left to die in the woods in Kentucky. Though vets suggested that the dog be euthanized, Joal felt Sadie deserved a chance and took her home for a day. That day became a month, which became forever.

Joal put a lot of time, effort and heart into making Sadie the best she could be. Sadie receives therapy including acupuncture, aqua puncture, cranial sacral, chiropractic, laser, e-stim, Power Plate and infrared therapy and is no longer fecally or urinary incontinent.

Along the way, Joal realized that not only was Sadie changing but so was she. Their catchphrase became "Think about what you can do, not what you can't do - just like Sadie does" and they took up the banner of the anti-bullying movement. Sadie has been featured in newspapers, radio, TV and even had a presence at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well. I found Joal honest in her love of animals and her devotion of Sadie.

I received this book "Saving Sadie: How a Dog That No One Wanted Inspired the World" from Netgalley for my honest review.

The book started off well but then lost me. I think maybe it was too much detail that I really didn't want to read. I had to skip over some parts because it just didn't keep my attention. I liked the idea of Sadie's story but it just seemed repetitive - treatments, what Joal had to do each day, how she was on the radio, etc. I think it is great that Joal rescued Sadie from a terrible life and I'm glad she had a second chance.

A really heartwarming story. I have a lot of respect for Joal. Taking care of a special needs pet is no joke, and Sadie truly got lucky when Joal found her.

I worked as a foster for a rescue for almost five years, and this rescue exclusively took dogs from the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky. I’ve never seen more horrific abuse cases than the dogs coming from that area. It’s interesting that Sadie came from this area as well. I wonder if Sadie perhaps came from the same town as my own dogs and the many who stayed with me as fosters…

Nonfiction can sometimes be weak in terms of writing style, but I thought this one was one of the better written ones. There are a lot of good descriptions and strong messages about abuse and not giving up.

My only issue was with a line in the first chapter where Joal admits that if Sadie had been a Chihuahua or a pit bull she likely would not have saved her. I get that she’s being honest, but I don’t think that line is necessary. My two personal dogs are Chihuahuas and I primarily work with bully breeds, so reading that sentence hurt my heart a little.

Out of the books that I have read about someone rescuing a dog, this is one of the best. Sadie is a truly remarkable dog, and I think this book will likely inspire readers to rescue. For that alone, I hope many people pick this up.

It was a wonderful book about a dog who was left for dead in the mountains of Kentucky.  She had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the back.  Because of this, Sadie couldn't walk on her back legs.  Sadie was at a shelter when Joal Dauer noticed her. Joal took Sadie home so that she wouldn't have to live out her life in a shelter.  After a recommendation that Sadie should be put down, Joal decided that Sadie deserved more. "Sadie did not deserve the cruel and she'd been dealt in life.  I assumed her only 'crime' was to continually give birth to litters of puppies for her owner, until she was no longer needed, and then they shot her in the had and abandoned her in the woods to die.  Sadie desperately deserved a second chance in life, and I was determined to be the one who gave it to her."

I was amazed at Joal's dedication to helping Sadie not only walk again but gain confidence in herself and humans again.  Because of Sadie and Joal's hard work and determination, Sadie soon became a beacon of hope for other animals and humans that needed a second chance.

"I often felt that Sadie understood the fate she had been saved from, and having that awareness allowed her to appreciate life so much more than most humans do.  Animals, especially animals like Sadie, have so much to teach us about our own lives, if we would only listen."

This was a great book about friendship, sacrifice, and love between a dog and her owner.