Sage came to Coulee Region Humane Society in February after being transferred from another organization. At the time, she had recently undergone surgery to remove what was believed to be a ruptured abscess on her back.

In March, Sage was adopted by Mallorie and James Gran. While they had some concerns about the removed mass, CRHS shared all the available information provided by the previous shelter.

About a month later, a follow-up with their veterinarian revealed devastating news: x-rays showed cancer that had metastasized to Sage’s lungs.

This was heartbreaking for CRHS, who believed Sage was healthy, but even more so for the Gran family, who had just opened their hearts to a new companion after losing both of their senior dogs within the past year. Despite the diagnosis, Mallorie and James committed to giving Sage the best life possible for as long as she had.

Following this, CRHS obtained full records from the vet clinic that had performed Sage’s surgery and uncovered a more complex backstory. Sage had originally been seized by a local police department from her previous owner due to neglect—she had lived with the mass for over a year, during which it repeatedly ruptured. The PD had the mass removed, requesting minimal costs since the original owner was expected to pay. Unfortunately, this meant a recommended biopsy wasn’t performed. After surgery, Sage was transferred to the local humane society and later to CRHS.

Here’s what Mallorie shared:

Sage was a special girl who stole the hearts of everyone who met her. She loved just being with her people and experiencing any adventure, big or small. She truly taught us how to live in the moment and enjoy life to its fullest. 

In her short time with us we made sure to get her on adventures to so many different places including a pizza farm, Elmaro Winery, Madison, The Pearl, Rudy’s for a hot dog (which was so funny to watch her experience!), many pup cups, and lots of trips down to Riverside to enjoy the beauty. She was a dream to take with to sit at outdoor patios and just loved to take it all in. 

Although we only had her for a short time, we wish we could have had more time to soak in the unconditional love she gave us. She was a perfect example of why rescuing dogs is so special and an example of how the unconditional love from a dog is truly unmatched. She became a part of our family as soon as she walked in our doors and trusted us to take care of her until we had to say good bye. We will remember her for forever. 💛

We, at CRHS, cannot express enough how thankful we are to Mallorie and James for giving Sage the end-of-life support and love all pets deserve. They are truly our Heroes of Compassion.