Louise Masin Sattler

Adopting Baxter: Our Journey from Shelter to Home

Published on November 11, 2025 by Louise Masin Sattler1 Comment

Sometimes, events transpire in your life that take you completely by surprise. One day, you find yourself in a home that has been without a four-legged companion for over a year, and the next, you’re buying food, bedding, and even selecting a name for a rescue puppy. His name is Baxter.

It all began when a friend shared her experience of stopping at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. She mentioned that visitors are welcome and that there’s even a program allowing you to spend extended time with a dog. Intrigued, I began researching this program. Hubby and I initially thought Kanab might be too far to travel, but then discovered that Best Friends has satellite facilities, including one in Los Angeles. There, you can adopt, foster, or become an Adventure Buddy, and we felt the latter option was the best fit for us. As an Adventure Buddy, you’re encouraged to take a dog out for a day of fun, ideally for two hours or more. By mid-October, after a thorough application process, we were matched with “La Santa,” an adorable pit bull mix. We cherished our time with La Santa, but ultimately, she wasn’t quite the dog we envisioned bringing home forever.

A happy brown pit bull mix named La Santa sits beside a colorful backpack with the text 'WE ARE ON A FIELD TRIP! YOU CAN PET THIS DOG! IT'S OKAY TO (BE EXCITED)' printed on it. — La Santa, Available for Adoption at the time of this article – Best Friends of Los Angeles.

Fast forward to a few days later when a local TV station announced that the Riverside (California) Animal Shelter was well over capacity. In an effort to increase their chances to be adopted, the Riverside Animal Shelter had transported dozens of dogs to other states, such as Washington.

So, out of curiosity, I went on their website, but I didn’t really see any one dog that captured my heart.

Another friend suggested that I check out our local shelter. I visited the website of a Los Angeles shelter and instantly spotted a dog that looked just like our beloved Bayla. In the same video featuring this adorable pup was another dog named Bamboo. It was love at first sight! Within minutes, I was slipping on my shoes, eager to “visit” Bamboo with my husband. Less than two hours later, we were finalizing his adoption!

Why this dog? Oddly enough, his photo and video appeared on nearly every page I visited on the shelter’s website! Moreover, he brought back memories of a dog we fostered many years ago who eventually went to the police academy. When we finally met him, his well-behaved nature and easy-going personality were reminiscent of Bayla! We discovered he was approximately 18 months old, brought in as a stray, fully grown, and likely a shepherd mix. However, there was one little issue – we were informed that Bamboo was part of a “bonded pair” with his companion stray, Bambi. Upon inquiring about Bambi, we learned she had been adopted – without Bamboo. (So much for being “bonded.”)

A black and tan shepherd mix puppy named Baxter sits on a tile floor, looking curiously at the camera. He wears a patterned collar and a leash is attached to his collar.

Close-up of a black and tan dog lying down, with Rottweiler markings and a relaxed expression.

Now I have a question – If you look at this sturdy black and tan shepherd mix with rottweiler markings and a black lab personality, do you think that his name should have been Bamboo? And what do you call him for a nickname- BamBam? I think not! Hubby and I deliberated for a very short time until we settled on BAXTER as his name. It seemed to fit him perfectly!

Guess what? He is not a young adult dog- but a puppy!!!

Surprise! Baxter isn’t 18 months old or fully grown; this 60-pound bundle of energy is actually a puppy—likely around a year old—and he may gain another 10 pounds (or more)! YIKES! He exhibits numerous puppy behaviors, such as rummaging through the hamper for our favorite clothes to drag around the house, eagerly tearing apart his new bed, and managing to snag just about anything off the counters, including a fresh pack of muffins! Plus, his anxiety poses a challenge, as Baxter goes BERSERK when left alone, even when crated with cozy blankets, new toys, and special treats reserved just for his crate time! HELP! It’s definitely time for a puppy trainer to guide us! (And if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!). And don’t worry- we aren’t giving up on Baxter. He is just being a puppy – and hopefully will not have an affinity for our leather couches and chairs!

Traveling with Baxter

Many people have inquired whether we intend to stop traveling now that Baxter has joined our family. The answer is a resounding NO! While it may take some time for Baxter to adjust, or our travel plans might take on a different shape, we remain committed to exploring new destinations.

Baxter and I thank you for reading!

A black and tan puppy wearing a large pink donut-shaped collar rests on a tiled floor, looking relaxed and playful. — Baxter, sporting a “cone” after his neutering.

Simply, thank you.

Published on October 2, 2024 by LouiseSattlerLeave a comment

This post will be short and sweet. To all who sent words of sympathy and/or donated to the Sparky the Gang rescue in memory of our furbaby – Bayla – THANK YOU!

It has been overwhelming how many people extended acts of kindness towards us. We are filled with gratitude.

~Louise

Saying Goodbye to Bayla

Published on September 28, 2024October 11, 2025 by LouiseSattler8 Comments

We weren’t ready to say goodbye to one of the world’s best dogs. But, one minute, she was a loveable, active, goofy, vocal, and always on the “ready” to eat kind of dog – and then what seemed like in a flash – she wasn’t.

Bayla has left a void in the hearts of so many – most of all Marc and I.

May her memory be a blessing.

If you are so inclined to donate to the rescue where we adopted Bayla 9 years ago- please check out Sparky and the Gang in Long Beach, California. https://sparkyandthegang.com

Below I am sharing about her cancer journey. Very little was known about the kind of cancer Bayla “acquired”. We had no idea what to expect as there were so few other dogs who shared her diagnosis and had their experiences with trigeminal nerve sheath tumors documented. Since there is so little information that is not written in “vet-speak” – I decided to chronicle our experiences from pre-diagnosis to her last day – today. Know that I started to “journal” Bayla’s journey months before today – only the last entry was added after we said our final goodbye.

And so it begins…

The story of Bayla’s cancer… Bayla was diagnosed the week of Halloween 2023 as having an inoperable brain tumor. The worst Halloween “trick” EVER. But, I soon learned that her condition is known as a trigeminal nerve sheath tumor. It is not common and breeds such as Labradors (or mixes with labs) are more apt to have this type of tumor. The onset of symptoms comes swiftly and progresses with lightning speed. For many dogs, like Bayla, radiation, chemo, and other types of interventions are not possible. Usually, the first symptom is an indent on top of the head. And that was our first clue. Halloween week 2023 – a dent on the top of her head appears.

Progression of Bayla’s trigeminal nerve sheath tumor.

As Julie Andrew sang in the Sound of Music tune Do-Re-Mi – Let’s start at the very beginning...

June 2023

No atrophy

No symptoms

But we were told the cancer was already growing at this point.

November 2023. Atrophy above her eye as the muscle is diminished due to the tumor impacting her nerve. Also impacted is her jawline. Many veterinary visits later – we received the bad news. She was terminally ill. I started to call “end of life” places to help us if the neuro-vet who said we would be lucky to have her in a few months- was right. (Spoiler alert- he wasn’t). She thrived through the winter months and much longer than that.

This photo was taken June 6, 2024. Bayla continued to act like herself more than a sickly dog. She ate well. She barked at every truck that went by. The usual “stuff”. She also slept more and was very clingy. The atrophy crossed over to the other half of her head by May. Caving can be seen in her face with her eyes being more sunken. But, she is defying the odds. The doggy neurologist was wrong. This “ol girl had many more days past the (maybe) 6-month expiration he had given to her! She is on a hefty dose of two meds for discomfort and also for swelling. She pees a ton – but all in all – is a very happy dog! She also gets away with anything she wants – including jumping up to the table to snatch my food! (“The tumor made me do it!”)

June 2024: In all fairness – she does have a crazy-looking cranium. This is her “I need a nap” look.

September 25, 2024 – Behavioral changes.

There is no better way to explain life with Bayla than to say she has reverted in many ways – back to puppyhood. Or so we think. We kinda missed her first year of life and can only assume that many of the same behaviors she is exhibiting now are similar to those of the first few months she had here on earth. She finds random items and flings them, carries them around the house, or hides them. Several of my shoes are no longer paired. The victims are the newest shoes for fall -they are among the missing. I didn’t even wear them yet.

She cries more now – around me. When with her daddy she tends to be more playful – almost like she is hiding her true feelings to keep him from becoming upset. She tends to be less guarded with me – like we have a copesetic relationship. I think she is telling me the end of the road is almost near and I need to become prepared – more so than ever- but I am not sure. I could be getting mixed signals. The veterinarian told us we would know when she has “bad days more than good.” If she sleeps 2/3 of her day and walks around aimlessly for a good portion of the night – is that her having a sickly bad day? Or is that just being a senior dog? I ordered her new stuffed toys today – thinking a stuffed squirrel and rabbit would bring her comfort. Maybe I bought them for me so I would have one last opportunity to see her try to tear the squeaker out of a “stuffed lovey”. The toy arrives thanks to Amazon’s overnight delivery service. She plays for a moment or two. No attempt to remove the squeaker. It lays beside her as she tries to sleep.

And then I remember our new reality. She isn’t the dog that likes to play with a new toy… Sweet Bayla is barely a glimmer of the little pup I met in 2015. She is telling us it is time to go over the rainbow bridge.

September 28, 2024

Yes, I have been up all night. Listening to her walk around the house. Seeing her try to rest only to realize she can’t settle. She is in pain. She whimpers softly. Finally, she falls asleep – but only for a few short moments – and then she gets up again to walk aimlessly in circles. She comes over to me at 3 a.m. She stares as if to say – “make the call – it is time.”

And it was. This morning we let her go over the rainbow bridge to play forever with her pals who left before her. I would like to think she is partying it up and eating whatever and whenever she wants! And since she was rescued from Tijuana, Mexico – I hope she has found “heavenly food trucks” – oh how she loved her tacos!

_________________________________________

A special thank you and gratitude to all who have loved her and spoiled her throughout the years. She adored “her people”.

Below you will find a gallery of photos and a poem I found.

Thank you for reading.

author unknown.

This story made my heart hurt

Published on November 8, 2015July 7, 2019 by LouiseSattlerLeave a comment

Update: Gunner has been adopted. He was in foster care for less than a week.

The other day I came across a post on the Facebook page of the Westside German Shepherd Rescue that started with the title:

GUNNER LOST HIS HOME YESTERDAY

A photo of the saddest German Shepherd was attached with this story. It broke my heart. And days later I still can’t shake it off. Here is why…

When Gunner was turned in to the rescue yesterday, he didn’t know what he had done wrong. His tail was tucked between his legs even though volunteers were trying to cheer him up. The little boy in the family had little bags of treats for Gunner along with little handwritten notes. The poor child’s heart was breaking along with Gunner’s. It was difficult to look at either of them, the little boy’s face with tears streaming down his cheeks, and Gunner’s excruciatingly sad face.

We certainly weren’t feeling very charitable when we learned why Gunner was given up! His big “crime” that resulted in him losing his home was that he had gotten into the garbage and peed on the new couch! The dad would not listen to any suggestions, so for Gunner’s sake, we just wanted to get the paperwork done so we can find him a better home with someone who deserves a wonderful dog like him!Gunner is an incredible dog, he loves kids and is good with other dogs, although best to be with females. He has a face that will melt your heart, and we know he will find his home soon!!

WWW.SHEPRESCUE.ORGJAO315PM

What hurt my heart was not only that this wonderful dog was given away because of what seemed like minor infractions, but that a father made one of the worst mistakes of his life… separating a boy from his dog.

As a parent and psychologist – I know that this event will be a life defining moment for the young lad. And I have this terrible feeling that a parent that gives up on his dog this easily may also be infringing some kind of emotional pressure on his children that is beyond reason. Yes, it is conjecture – but I can’t help but wonder.

Gunner will be adopted (and rumor is he has been already) and learn to love another family. I hope he has another young boy to romp and play with and heal his heart. But, for the young boy who showed more compassion in his acts of kindness than his parent, I know that this will be never forgotten.

I get that there are “two -sides to every story”. People who I have met who work at dog rescues and shelters tell me this story is not unusual and sadly this scenario is repeated often. Sigh.

What can we do?

First – Don’t buy or adopt a pet without understanding that there is a learning curve. Dogs need to learn how to act within human parameters. Humans need to learn that dogs are not people. Educate yourself about dog needs, behaviors, different types of breeds, etc.

Secondly- Dogs need to be schooled and given care during their day. They need trainings, care and basic necessities. Just like what you get in a people classroom. Seek out dog trainers, private dog walkers, etc.

Thirdly- Kids don’t forget. They may forgive. But they are making mental notes that will shape the rest of their lives from a very early age. I wrote an article earlier about adopting a dog and when to know if your family is ready. You can read it here.

Lastly – Recognize that life happens. Families get displaced, people become ill, and dogs can bite. So, while this scenario broke my heart, there are a lot of reasons why people need to part from their furry family members that are (in my opinion) more understandable, although tough to digest.

If you are interested in the Shepherd Rescue where Gunner was surrendered to see if you are a match for many of the other dogs up for adoption – then please check out this link: http://www.sheprescue.org/

Saying a special prayer for kids and their dogs everywhere tonight.

Thanks for reading.

We adopted a teen mom – of eight puppies! #DogAdoption

Published on May 6, 2015May 26, 2015 by LouiseSattler1 Comment

Each year thousands and thousands of dogs are placed in shelters for a variety of reasons. Some owners cite allergies while others indicate their dogs have behavioral problems – regardless the number of canines that are “given up” is astounding. Over the past few months I have visited a number of shelters in the Southern California region. It had been years since I walked in to a shelter as we had stopped fostering and adopting dogs once we had welcomed Bingo and Tess in to our home. Now that Tess is a senior and Bingo has passed, it seemed the right time to add to our family and save the life of a furry friend. First stop the Devore Shelter in San Bernardino County. I had heard about this shelter as having a “high kill rate”. I have been following the Friends of Freddie Facebook group dedicated to broadcasting the shelter’s daily list of available dogs. They also posted those with sadder outcomes with captions reading “RIP”.

This pup was already amassing a lot of interest by the time we arrived. Adopted out asap!

One day I spotted on their Friends of Freddie Facebook wall a photo post of a little black and tan shepherd puppy. The Facebook followers were certain that the puppy would be a “goner” so off I drove with hubby for nearly two hours to come upon one of the saddest shelters I have ever seen. After walking up and down I decided the puppy wasn’t a good fit for a variety of reasons. It obviously was a dog that had a lot of interest – and indeed was adopted out the very day it was able to be released from the shelter. As for the other dogs sitting in the over two dozen kennels- many who were pit bulls or seniors of mixed breed – it would be hard to say if they all found homes or were at least had their care sponsored. Unable to handle a dog as strong as a pit bull, mastiff or doberman – we drove home sans a dog. But, we made sure that we left a donation – to help sponsor care for those who didn’t have a list of potential adopters – like the little shepherd we came to see.

Next stop was a much nicer, cleaner, and amiable shelter in San Pedro via the LA County system. There I spotted an adorable dachshund mix. But again- a lot of interest and it seemed he wanted to be an “only dog”.

Third time is the charm…

Cute little dachshund who preferred to be an only dog in the home. — Cute little dachshund mix who preferred to be an only dog in the home.

For many years I have seen comfort dogs that help children and adults post- disaster work magic! I have longed to adopt a dog that could become a comfort dog to those who need to feel safe and emotionally more stable when their world is topsy – turvy. Hence the reason I started to search direct my search for breeds that would be people friendly and could deal with a little “stress”. Via PetFinder I spotted Sparky and the Gang / West Coast Animal Rescue from Long Beach, California. They had a dog that was purportedly a retriever mix, but had survived one of the worst cases of malnutrition I had ever seen. Off I went (again) to visit this survivor only to spot in a nearby kennel a young rhodesian ridgeback- shepherd mix that had just weaned eight puppies. Yes, I said eight.

All the pups were quickly adopted and little “Annie” was left alone in a kennel that once housed nine. When I passed her she rolled over – did a little wiggle and seemed to be quite the energetic little gal. After a nice time playing and snuggling in the yard I was in love.

“Annie” was to become Bayla (Hebrew for beautiful) and with not much issue settled in to our home. Quiet as a mouse not a peep for five days. She was fine in a crate, walked well on a leash and seemed to be getting along fairly well with Tess. Then all hell broke out on Day 6! OMG – she became a teen-age dog overnight! Chewing shoes, bouncing like a kangaroo, barking like a crazy dog and gulping her food as if there was no tomorrow. Plus, she went from docile Bayla to a prize fighter in a blink! What on earth happened!?!

Quickly I searched “what to do with dog aggressive and food aggressive teen/ young adult dogs”. So much advice so I took a step back and decided to “see life her way”. First, she was a stray in Mexico and a young mom. Then was an empty nester before she even was an adult! Finally she lands in a home where she has everything she would want except for a lot of limits. Unsure of herself – she is testing her boundaries and trying to be the one in charge. Our mission – to make sure she understands that this home has a hierarchy and she is not the Queen! Secondly, she needed to feel safe, secure and that we weren’t going to “dump her” – as we suspect had been the case before.

Daily walks, quiet voices and lots of rewards at intermittent times (yes I used people psychology on her!) – she seems to be going in the right direction.

Always watchful and that toy in the photo didn't last the day this photo was taken! — Always watchful and that toy in the photo didn’t last the day this photo was taken!

So, while we are now in “Operation Bayla” in order to seek some peace in our home – I would like to open up this blog for any helpful hints, discussion or words of encouragement.

In the meantime – we are sure progress will continue to be made as she already has come so far in such a short amount of time. Thanks to social media I have found some wonderful resources and even plan on taking her to a group doggie trot where guidance for dogs and their humans is given!

And please remember – adopt, don’t shop – there are too many shelters full of dogs (and other animals) that need homes.

Here are some of the scores of dogs that are available for adoption via the West Coast Animal Rescue. Please note that they are available the date of this post and you should check out this link for updates and to obtain information about adoption or fostering.

Luna

Fay/ Fae

Rhoda

Thanks for reading!

~Louise

Update:

The Campaign continues – Imagining a Better World – please check out this amazing story of human survival