For those of you who like to go to the last page of a good story -- here is the ending -- Samson is now in a wonderful loving home.
But his story had a different beginning. Samson came to the SPCA late one evening in early 2010 brought in by Animal Control Officer Urry who found him alone in the Free Union area. When Officer Urry walked Samson into the SPCA, he could barely stand up for more than a few moments, and he certainly did not even look like a Mastiff. He was severely emaciated and seemed very close to giving up. But his luck would soon change. The SPCA clinic staff gave him food and water and made him comfortable with nice blankets. Over the next few days, the staff continued to care for Samson feeding him small meals about 6 times a day. When SPCA veterinarian Dr. Beichel examined him, she confirmed what staff suspected, Samson was blind. In addition, Samson had an undiagnosed medical issue that prevented him from satisfying his thirst. Nonetheless, he liked the attention, especially from his new potential foster mom.
Here is what she had to say about Samson:
"The first time I saw him at the SPCA my heart went out to him. He was nothing but skin and bones (weighing only 91 lbs), he was blind, could barely stand, and was in desperate need of love and attention. Immediately I knew that I wanted to take him into my home. Given that he was blind and I already had an English Mastiff at home named Delilah, I immediately renamed him Samson. We started out as a foster home for Samson, not knowing how he would get along with our three other dogs. We also had no previous experience with blind dogs. Initially it was tough going addressing his constant need for water and trying to determine if his special needs resulting from his extreme neglect could ever be corrected. With the undying support of Dr. Biechel and the other members of the SPCA Clinic staff, we were able to turn Samson’s story of neglect into a story of triumph. He now weighs 133 lbs, is on medication for his medical condition, loves playing with our other dogs, and has been officially adopted as a member of our family. We love him dearly and sincerely thank everyone at the SPCA for making his recovery a reality."
Dogs like Samson and his life of neglect can really hit hard initially. But it only makes their stories of success that much more uplifting. We are thankful we have a community that cares and supports the work of the SPCA and helps to provide Love to these precious animals. If you would like to donate to help more animals like Samson go to our SPCAFacebookCause.
