Sadie and Me

Let’s talk about Sadie. I met her at Town Lake Animal Shelter when she was just 6 months old. She was sick and alone, but that day changed my life forever. I wasn’t looking for another dog, but when they handed her to me, I had no idea how special she would become in my life. I like to say my life began then.

I’m Vanessa, and animals have always been a big part of my life. I have 8 dogs, 5 cats, 2 bunnies, 2 tortoises, a cockatiel, a bearded dragon, and a red eared slider turtle.. I think I got them all! After college, I moved to San Antonio for a show called “Pet Tales” at Sea World. When it ended, I joined Barking Hound Village as a part-time employee and eventually became the manager, this was 20 years ago.

Sadie was with me through my 30s, my wedding, and beyond. She broke all the rules and was a true friend. Saying goodbye to her was incredibly hard, and it still brings me to tears.

Now, I’ve bought Barking Hound Village and rebranded it as BHV Austin after my Blue Heeler ZuZu Stardust. She is also our main inspiration for our logo. Along with Sadie, (she was a big David Bowie fan). Since then we have been making changes to ensure all dogs have a safe space. In March 2024, I opened a second location on North Burnet. You’ll see reminders of Sadie everywhere along with all of my dogs all over the walls. That is my favorite part. There are no gimmicks, there is no private equity firm, there are just real people who love what they do.

I LIVE for my dogs. All 8 of them. Each one of them is different, each are icons on their own, but BHV can adjust and care for all of them no matter what size or age. I have a 2 pound Pomeranian all the way up to a 70 lb (I promise) Golden Retriever. I have a 16 year old Terrier Mix, all the way down to a 3 month old puppy. There is no where I would rather be than with them, but when I have to leave, I only trust BHV with their care. Each location sports luxury villas that create a comfortable home environment, and there is nothing “standard” about our standard boarding spaces. BHV can take care of my huge range of pups who are all divas, I know they can care for yours.

At our BHV stores, we treat your dogs like family. Dogs see who we really are and give us unconditional love that’s hard to find elsewhere. Each dog is unique each dog is their own icon, and we aim to make them feel comfortable and loved. So, tell me, who is YOUR “Sadie”?