Sadie, a one-year-old dog, survived two weeks in the bush outside of Campbell River after a vehicle accident left her leg broken and took the life of her pet parent.
Ian Breland was driving home from Gold River on Aug. 24 with Sadie, his dog. At roughly 8 p.m. that day, Breland was found deceased on the shoreline of Upper Campbell Lake, about a five-minute drive from Strathcona Lodge, where Breland was involved in a crash. Sadie was nowhere to be seen.
Laurie Clark, who has known Breland for over 30 years and described him as her "best buddy" says extensive searches for Sadie were carried out to locate her remains. Sadie was to be cremated and spread with Breland's ashes where they used to walk. These searches yielded no results.
On Sept. 7. Taylor and Tracey Brown were on the opposite side of Upper Campbell Lake.
"They were camping on the opposite side of the lake walking their two dogs, and she (Tracy) said "We looked down and suddenly there were three," and Sadie was wagging her tail as happy as can be, not putting any pressure on the back leg, which has since been amputated," says Clark.
Clark theorizes Sadie must have swum across the lake in a panic after the crash.
The Browns took her straight to Tsolum Veterinarian Hospital, where Sadie was a client. According to Clark, the Browns travelled to Breland's address to inform him of Sadie's condition. Instead, they were met by Breland's father, Mel, who told them he had passed away on Aug. 24.
Meanwhile, at Tsolum, Dr. Krista Huxham, from Island Tides Veterinarian Clinic in Courtenay, came to operate on Sadie's broken leg, which had started healing in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, the leg had to be amputated.
Nicole Garneau, Tsolum's owner and an RVT, and Ashley Hames, a vet technician student, took turns sleeping on the clinic's floor overnight to check on Sadie now and then after the long surgery.
The clinic also didn't charge Breland's parents for the operation. The bill would have been around $2,500.
"When Ian came in, he'd go to the back and give all the dogs ear rubs," says Clark. "He was well known. He's just a loveable guy. They (the clinic) knew who Ian was. He stuck out to them."
"Amazing," Clark says of Sadie's recovery. "By the next day, she was up and down stairs, which she wasn't supposed to be (doing), but she is just one (years old), so very resilient."
Breland's parents have moved into his home with Sadie. Sadie visited the Tsolum Veterinary Hospital on Sept. 23 for her two-week post-op recheck. Dr. Huxham came back to check on Sadie's recovery from Courtenay.
"We thought it would be a nice ending to a beautiful story of kindness, thanks to Tracey and Taylor for bringing Sadie in when she was found, and the ripple effect of people coming to help a family during a difficult time," says Garneau. Humanity for the win and what one act of kindness can create. Sadie is doing amazing."
