A joyful Oprah poses with five clamoring puppies. Sadie is perched on Oprah's right shoulder. Photo: Pamela Hanson for O, The Oprah Magazine.
Once perilously close to death, Sadie, the cocker spaniel puppy that Oprah adopted from PAWS Chicago, appears on the June cover of O, The Oprah Magazine, along with her media maven mommy and four adorable shelter pups (who have all found homes, too).
The photograph was taken in February when Oprah visited PAWS Chicago --- a no-kill animal shelter --- to pose for the cover of the magazine's June issue, which is dedicated to animals and the bond we all share with them (as is the May 15th episode of her show). "One thing I know for sure," says Oprah. "I can't begin to repay my own dogs for the flat-out joy they bring me." In addition to Sadie, the talk show icon has two Golden Retrievers, Luke and Layla, and once had two deeply-loved cocker spaniels, Sophie and Solomon, who both passed away in 2008, and a dog named Gracie who passed away in 2007.
During the photo shoot, several precious puppies wriggled around Oprah, but it was a female blond cocker spaniel (then named Amanda, and subsequently re-named Sadie) who captured Oprah's heart.
"The dog chose me," Oprah reveals on the March 6 episode of her talk show, in which she introduced her "new love" Sadie to the world. "There were like six or seven dogs and she was on my shoulder nuzzling," Oprah explains. Photographer Pamela Hanson captured the tender moment when Oprah first met Sadie.
For those watching the show that day, who could forget when Oprah suddenly introduced Sadie's three blond brothers --- Ivan, Webster and Gordie --- and announced to the squealing studio audience that the male pups still needed homes. Unable to resist her own words, the long-time dog lover decided to adopt Ivan.
Tragically, just days later, Ivan contracted the deadly parvovirus and died. "I'd been through parvo 13 years before, with my brown cocker, Solomon," recounts Oprah. "It nearly killed him. He stayed in the hospital for 20 days. He was over a year old when he got it. Ivan was only 11 weeks. His young immune system wasn't strong enough to overcome it. Four days after we took Ivan to the emergency clinic, he died."
Sadie was also infected with parvo and fell gravely ill. "The first four days, she got increasingly worse," Oprah remembers. "At one point I told her doctor, 'I'm prepared to let her go. She shouldn't have to fight this hard.'" But Sadie battled back to a full recovery, rediscovering her fondness for warmed up chicken. "That's because that's what her mommy was making [for her] before she left [for the hospital]," smiles Oprah.
Reminiscing about the day of the cover photo shoot, Oprah has a confession to make. "Out of all the pups in that picture, Sadie was the one I felt an instant connection with." Sounds like true love.
Celebrity Pets
Animal rights activist Nicolette Sheridan is so close with her Golden Retriever Oliver that she even took him with her on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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Matthew McConaughey and his pup BJ are more than best buds -- they're exercise partners! They're regularly spotted out in L.A. running, jogging, skateboarding, and even do yoga together!
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Selma Blair takes a walk with her rescue dog, a one-eyed Welsh Corgi named Wink.
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Vanessa Minnillo scoops up her dog Wookie for a day out with boyfriend Nick Lachey.
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Supermodel Giselle Bundchen made sure all three of her puppies, including her Yorkie Vida, attended her wedding to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady – wearing Dolce & Gabbana, of course!
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She loved Trouble! "Queen of Mean" Leona Helmsley's grandchildren were barking mad when the real-estate heiress excluded them from her will and left her Maltese, Trouble, a $12 million trust fund when she died in 2007. A year later a Manhattan judge reduced the pooch's inheritance to $2 million. Trouble, now residing at Florida's Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, is making due.
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In his Golden Globe acceptance speech, Mickey Rourke thanked his 18-year-old Chihuahua Loki, who passed away soon after the win. Loki is survived by four other Rourke pups: a black pug named La Negra, a fluffy white Samoyed named Ruby Baby, and two Chihuahuas named Taco Bell and Jaws.
Todd Williamson, FilmMagic
Drama surrounding her 17-or-so pets hasn't stopped Paris Hilton from acquiring more of them.
Her latest companion is a tiny teacup Pomeranian, a gift from her new boyfriend Doug Reinhardt. We're pretty sure Tinkerbell will be walking her within a month.
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Jessica Simpson has made some bad decisions (remember those high-waisted jeans?) but her adorable maltipoo Daisy is not one of them.
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Jennifer Aniston may be unlucky in love, but that doesn't mean she's lonely! Her corgi-terrier mix Norman is always at her side through the good and the bad.
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I felt the same way when I went to get my puppy. I'd seen his photo and fell in love with him and when I picked him up he put his paws on my cheeks and kissed my face, he loved me at first sight too. I wish everyone could experience the loving bond between animals and their people.
Well put!!!
I really know how you feel my cocker spaniel today 5-16-09 she woke up with a spinal disk rupture and I don't have insurance on her so I don't have the money for the operation and I will just have to see what will happen. I just cant believe that there isn't help out there for someone like me. I have not stop crying thinking of what's going to happen to her. I love her so much and I am praying that she recovers though I know she will not be able to walk or run like a normal dog as long that I have her alive I am happy, I will find out in the next few hours if she gets up. My children have not gone out all day hoping she would get up and play. I for one know how it feels to have and love an animal especially when it becomes just like one of your children too.
We always wanted a dog but because we were living in a big city we
never got one. As soon as we moved to the suburbs we bought a Golden
Retriever. We couldn't get that dog to do anything we wanted it to.
We just assumed that we bought a wacky dog. We were about to give the
dog away when somebody told me about a dog training system that we
could get on the internet. The results were amazing, as soon as WE
learned the skills we needed to train him properly his behavior
changed. Now he is the most lovable and well behaved dog of all. It
was our fault all along, what we didn't know we learned at.
http://cli.gs/SecretsToDogTraining .
i just lost my cocker spaniel after 16 years and you are right why can't we just be like that with people you know i quit watching oprah show four years ago and many of friends did also said she was a fake but i wonder how much time love she got from her dogs she was always on a trip and giving gifts away but seen her with her dogs changed y mind toward her a little but loved your comment
I love my dog Lizzie. I rescued her from a shelter at 8 weeks. She was the featured dog of the week and I saw her face on the internet and I said that's it. I was going to get a fancy spancy dog.... but after seeing her I was off to get her. That morning when I picked her up she barked at me first of all the 9 pups. I was smitten and thank GOD for Lizzie the Featured One :) She is 8 months now and thriving beyond words... Lizzie is my LOVE :)
Kay
I am not a fan of Ophra, but applaude her feelings, outlook, dedication and love of God's creatures. The world is a lot better off with animals and those who love and respect them. Any dog is lucky to be adopted by Ophra and others like her. Too bad more are abused and executed than adopted! Those unfortunates being a product of irresponsible and cruel humans.
good girl oprah. seeing that picture of you and dogs.. i now forgive you for chicken scam hehehe. god love you oprah
I had been to about 5 shelters waiting for 'that feeling' when I I saw a little black Cocker Spaniel sitting at the back of a dog run. I walked up and put my hand through the gate and she inched up, smelled my hand, then laid her head sideways on my palm. My heart just seized!! That was 9 years ago and my little LaLa still does that at night when we cuddle up to sleep. Animals are angels!! God bless anyone who returns the love of an animal.
I had been to about 5 shelters waiting for 'that feeling' when I I saw a little black Cocker Spaniel sitting at the back of a dog run. I walked up and put my hand through the gate and she inched up, smelled my hand, then laid her head sideways on my palm. My heart just seized!! That was 9 years ago and my little LaLa still does that at night when we cuddle up to sleep. Animals are angels!! God bless anyone who returns the love of an animal.
I am a big animal lover especially dogs,someday i wish to own a small home on some land so i can adopt alot of dogs....I cant stand when people say well its only a dog....My miniture fox terrier is the light of my life....Kudos to Oprah and everyone else who adopts dogs and cats
When I heard that Oprah's dog choked to death on a ball, I had to question her care with animals, I guess we learn from our mistakes, too bad it cost that dogs life...I knew another breeder of rotties that let her dogs play with tennis ball, the dog fell asleep with the ball in his mouth and sucked it down his throat, choked to death...how much intelligence does it take to measure the size of a ball and the width of a dogs throat, The ball should be twice the size, It's probably the only thing I like about Oprah though is her love for animals, I know those dogs have a spoiled life.
I have two miniature dachshunds that I absolutely love. My hubby works out of state and my children are young adults who have moved out. If it weren't for my girls I would be lonely five nights a week. We cuddle and snuggle and they sleep in my bed when daddy is out of town. I simply adore my girls and couldn't imagine not having them around.
I just want to know what Oprah is wearing on her feet!
All this Puppy love is so sweet, so kind and tender, take your puppy for lunch and for a ride or walk in the park, so sweet, but not give one single thought to children starving in this Country, and make a big splash about your puppy love and not give one thought to the homeless children in this Country, you people are a bunch of Narcassistic morons, and your money wont buy you not one more second on this planet.
Hey Sarah, thought I would enlighten you. Animal lovers don't have a one-tracked mind. They are one of the most compassionate groups there is - for a lot of various causes. Sorry you are so closed minded. You're the one missing out.
I and a friend were on a freeway exit when I spotted a little white dog...he was headed right on the freeway! We stopped and finally urged him to come to me. He was so skinny and his skin was terrible...you could tell he had been neglected and was lost. After getting a bill of health from my Vet...I fell in love with "Sam" and he is now a much loved pet ...he joins our other dog Abby. He is so lovable and gives back so much.....he is our miracle.
SO HAPPY FOR YOUR PET THAT YOU SPOTTED ON THE HIWAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
OMG that was awesome.
She should go away.. can't stand her //anymore/./so lonely onlly those dogs are her life..