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Age: 17 Years Sex: Female Weight: 26-50 lbs
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Leave a bone for Sammy
Nicknames:
Sammie girl, Sammers, Beauty Queen.
Quick Bio:
| -mutt | -pound dog | -dog rescue | |
Likes:
Eating, sleeping, giving kisses, getting belly rubs and going for long walks, not necessarily in that order. Getting her packet of wet food at dinner is the happiest 10 seconds of her day.
Pet-Peeves:
Loud music, hot weather, baths, other dogs walking by the house, vacuum cleaners, having her naps disturbed.
Favorite Toy:
Anything fleece that she can tear apart
Favorite Food:
Pizza and canned Cannidae dog food
Favorite Walk:
The 2.5 mile path at the Wyndham Hotel.
Best Tricks:
Crawling on the floor and jumping up for a treat. She also loves to hug.
Arrival Story:
We went to Kay's Animal Shelter on my 30th birthday in April 1995. Sammy was the only dog not barking. She was extremely timid and slunk past the other cages to go outside. But once outdoors, she lit up and happily wagged her tail, wanting to kiss every other dog and person in sight. She was about six months old, didn't know how to use stairs or go outdoors and feared men. But she was a quick learner and soon overcame her fears.
Bio:
Sammy resembles a giant Jack Russell Terrier. We think she has Labrador and Terrier mixed parentage. She has been kind enough to share her home with many foster dogs and cats from PAWS Chicago. Her most distinguishing trait is a white S on her right ear. In addition to her name, it stands for her favorite things: snacks, sleeping, snow....
Very sad update:
Sammy entered doggie heaven Oct. 13, 2007. She had only been diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer the day before. She had stopped eating most food her final week on earth. Thankfully, she suffered very little. She was treated with pain meds and fluids at a wonderful animal hospital in Buffalo Grove her last 26 hours.
Here is the obituary I sent to her many friends:
She was in the next to the last cage of dogs at Kay's Animal Shelter in
Arlington Heights, and she lay there very quietly. She was the only dog not
barking. When let out of her cage, she sank nearly to the ground, and slunk past
all of the other dogs. But once she got outside, she came to life and ran around
kissing every person and dog she encountered. She sat on my lap on the drive
home, panting heavily. She didn't know how to use doorways or stairs, and her
tail had a small bald patch, as if she'd been injured in some way. She was 19
pounds, and her ribs showed.
That was April 22, 1995. Sammy's kennel card listed her as a Lab/terrier mix,
six to eight months old. Sammy was at first a very scared and shy young dog, and
often peed submissively. But through constant walks, love and affection, and the
support of a wonderful pet sitter who saw her daily, she grew to be an
incredible dog. She placed first in her intermediate obedience class through the
Elk Grove Park District, despite being the only mutt in her class. She visited a
nursing home on Make a Difference Day one year, and also was the star of a
preschool animal Show and Tell. She always loved to kiss people, especially when
they least expected it, and receive belly rubs. She had a white S on her right
ear.
But most amazingly of all was how Sammy shared her home with so many fosters -
nearly 40 canines from PAWS Chicago, several great Pit Bull Terriers from
Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue, including a mama and seven newborn puppies, and
several felines from both PAWS and Chicago Animal Care and Control. She was
always told that the newcomer was temporary, and she was permanent. She
understand and appreciated that.
Sammy was so energetic and full of life that I was sure she'd live to 16 or
older. To lose her so quickly at age 13 is hard to take. The only consolation is
that she did not suffer long, and that I could be with her at the end.
I am so very grateful to Pioneer Press and to Petraits photographer Sheri
Berliner for capturing Sammy's spirit in beautiful photographs taken in the
summer and fall of 2007. One of Sheri's incredible photos, in the leaves, is on this page.
In her memory, please consider a donation to Kay's Animal Shelter or to PAWS
Chicago, the one group in Chicago that truly has made a difference in decreasing
the euthanization rate of homeless animals:
http://www.pawschicago.org/Donatio nsSponsors/pawstributes.htm Because while the
rate has gone down, nearly 20,000 pets in the city of Chicago were put down last
year because there weren't enough homes for them. And yes, I
will adopt again and soon. I believe the best way for me to honor Sammy is to
save another dog's life.
It was a privilege to adopt Sammy, and a true lesson in unconditional love to
have had her for so many years. She will live on in my heart forever.
Thank you so much for sharing in her wonderful life.
love,
Chris
The Groups I'm In:
♥Beloved pets remembered♥, (the samm group), 10 YEARS OR OVER??? DOGS or CATS, ♥A TEAM♥, ♥All Fur Fun♥, Dogster Guardian Angels, fun females, Mutts United, PURRS N WOOFS VILLAGE, Rainbow Bridge Angel Babies, ~Halloween Happiness~, ~~~*♥Dog Park USA♥*~~~
The Last Forum I Posted In:
Sammy Fall 1994 to Oct. 13
I've Been On Dogster Since:
| January 29th 2004 |
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More than 8 years! |
Rosette, Star and Special Gift History
Dogster Id:
1846
See all my Pup Pals
See all my Pup Pals
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The Dog Show: Who's Your Mama?
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