Rescue Me: Sam, Rescued 5/2/08

On May 2, 2008, Sam became an addition to our family. We adopted him from Great Dog Rescue New England, which is a wonderful organization that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters in the south when their time has run out and finds them good homes in the northeast. Sam had been surrendered to a high-kill shelter in Tennessee after his family had a baby and decided they no longer wanted him. His time had run out and he was about to be euthanized when his foster mom pulled him from the shelter and he became available through GDRNE. He was only about 2 years old (I later found a birthdate of 8/11/06 in his vet records. I am not sure if it is accurate but we're using it and he will be 3 in a few days!) He looked sweet in his picture and the description indicated that he was about the same size as Gabe (a plus since Gabe is feistiest with larger dogs) and that he was friendly and good with other dogs, so we applied for him, hoping against hope that he and Gabe would be able to get along, without ever meeting first.

Once we were approved as adopters, Sam was put on transport to New England on Monday, April 28th. After a 20 hour truck drive, Sam arrived in Massachusetts on Wednesday, April 30th, was microchipped, and was quarantined in a kennel for 48 hours as mandated by state law. This is a long and stressful trip for a dog! We were scheduled to pick Sam up on Friday afternoon, but since it was my first week at a new job, Alan had to go alone.

They picked me up from work and I'll never forget how I opened the door of the car and Sam crawled right in my lap and slept curled up on me the entire (long, trafficky) ride home. He was so personable and sweet and it was like he knew we were his forever family. The two dogs seemed to be getting along okay, until Sam scratched his ear with his back leg and touched Gabe while doing so, and Gabe gave him a big yip in the face. Once we got home, Sam was a good boy but he was so tired. His breath was terrible, he was shedding in clumps, and when he sat on the couch with me his head would fall off the seat and his eyes would roll back in his head. We didn't hear him bark for days and he wasn't eating well, but after awhile of routine, he began to sleep less and the shedding lessened and his breath cleared up (lots of breath bones!). He was so sweet with us and so adorable with Gabe, crawling up under his chin and rolling over to bare his belly. He was a very intelligent dog, paying homage to the "king" right away. There were some growls and a couple of heated discussions but nothing that a brief separation didn't take care of!

They crack me up because they are so similar but also so different. They are the exact same size, and each have a few nice patterns and colors, but Gabe has perky ears and Sam's are floppy. Gabe holds his tail up and Sam hangs his down. Gabe has tiny little paws and skinny legs, and Sam has big paws and muscular legs. Gabe is sort of fluffy and Sam is so smooth and shiny. We didn't plan it, but they complement each other perfectly.

It took us awhile to get used to Sam. He has more energy than Gabe and loves to jump and pulls on a leash. I don't know where he wants to go but he always wants to get there fast. Every dog has his little quirks but every now and then I look at Sam, snoozing on the couch, chewing on a toy, or sleeping in bed with Gabe, and I'm amazed at how well he fits in with our family. Sam loves to play, loves to run, loves to chew on toys, but is quite the couch potato when he wants to be! He's a very easy-going guy. All dogs love Sam, and while they sense to steer clear away from Gabe, they all jump all over Sam and chew on him right away. As Alan always says "Sam takes a licking, but keeps on ticking".

On June 9, 2009, Sam had two seizures. We took him to the vet immediately but to this day we have not been able to figure out what caused them. We had seen something similar a few months previous, but did not recogonize what it was. We have been instructed to watch him closely and keep the vet updated, but apparently some dogs just have seizures a few times a year with no real cause for worry. It was an awful few days afterward, expecting him to have another one at any moment. It was very scary, and we were so afraid that something serious would be wrong. Thankfully, we have not seen another one, and Sam seems to be just as happy and bouncy as ever. During these few days where we watched him like a hawk, I gained a newfound appreciation for Sammy. I had always loved him, but suddenly there was a chance of losing him and I couldn't bear that thought. Needless to say, he took advantage of this and made sure to hog more of the bed, steal the covers, and beg for more food. He is a smart little bugger.

Sammy's shelter situation was different than Gabey's. Gabe was lucky enough to be placed in a no-kill shelter, but Sam was not. It is his story that most breaks my heart. To think that he would have been euthanized when he was just over a year old kills me. He has such a spirit, and such a personality! Why should he be put to sleep just because no one wanted him at that moment? I am so thankful for his foster mom and GDRNE, who have made a world of difference in his life. They saved his life, and without them he simply wouldn't be here. It is Sam's story that haunts me, that makes me want to make a difference. I had always vowed never to buy a dog, and always adopt to save a life, but it's not enough. I have two dogs and even if I adopted another, that only saves one more life. After adjusting to the new house, new job and two dogs (who have become quite good friends now, true brothers I must say), I decided I wanted to do more. At the end of July, Alan and I applied to be foster parents for Great Dog.