my story with Sam starts with a friend that adopted him from an adoption event at petsmart. she brought him in to the vet clinic i used to work at as soon as she got him. he was sweet and shy and would stay close to everyone by sitting on their feet. he was 2 years old. a few months later, he was hit by car. he had a pin put in his leg and half of his tail removed. he spent a lot of time at the clinic and we all loved him. he was just so mild and calm but didn't want to get off your feet. my friend moved to california around this time and we were taking care of her house and animals. one night i went to visit sam. (this is my favorite story) when i went to leave, he followed me to my car. i told him to get back inside. i drove down the road through the gate of the neighborhood and onto the busier street. i stopped at the stoplight that is maybe a third of a mile from their house. and heard a scratching at my car door! Sam! i let him in the car and the rest is history. he really loved me from the beginning. i loved him too.
7 years later, i am reminding myself of a promise i made. the main lesson i learned from years of work at a vet clinic, is knowing when to say good-bye. i promised myself that i wouldn't let my dogs suffer. so many animals that we euthanized should have been put to sleep months or even years earlier. but now i am struggling with this same situation. now i know that it's just not as easy as you think.
Sam has a fast growing tumor on his neck that is inoperable. other than yelping when the left side of his neck is touched, he is completely fine. his bloodwork is great, he eats and drinks fine, he is just as sweet as ever. but one day soon, the tumor will make it impossible for him to breath. we have meds that will help for now but basically we are just buying time. so this is tough. he is perfect right now. but is this a blessing that we have a couple weeks to show him how much we love him? of course!
We have 2 dogs. He is 9 and Dixie is at least 13. it's weird because i have sort of been preparing myself for when Dixie passes away. she's an old lady. Sam makes up for the fact that Dixie is crazy and kinda smells like poop a lot. He is so kind and calm. very calm. like, use him as a pillow calm. the girls actually use him as a chair. if i get up to go to a different room, he follows. he is always right there. a constant. he needs no leash (but we still put him on one when we leave the house...#1 rule in my book) he stays up in bed with Sanoii when i get up in the morning. we know when she is awake when he comes downstairs. this came in super handy when she was a tiny baby. i could go on and on about Sam. (his full name i gave him: samuel l. jackson)
Although this is a sad time for us, i urge everyone to have a dog. esp families with kids. i know everyone thinks of the cleaning up and the commitment they take. but that is a tiny price to pay. there is a special bond between animals and people. i am so lucky to have Sam in my life. i learn from him daily. he loves to go outside and catch a breeze on his face. now i do, too. he is patient and i am learning his ways. he is loyal and calm. if you know me, i am not calm. but working on it.
So we have some extra days with our Sam. we've spent everyday since friday (the day we went to the dr.) outside, enjoying the sun. treats are aplenty. we're taking him to Wendy's later. he loves junior bacon cheeseburgers. i am using this time with him to say thank you. and i will learn everything he has to teach.
Sam, thanks for making my family complete.
