Never Too Old...

...to try new things.  Sampson has always been a "good eater".  He loves vegetables and ethnic foods.  Among his favorites are lettuce (he begs for it), carrots, tomatoes, Indian cuisine, green beans, Mexican, hummus, and many others.  Today Sam tried tapioca pudding - and he liked it a lot...  Sam's lesson for the day - you're never too old to try something new...  You just might like it.

The Puppy Named Sampson

While I was unemployed and volunteering at the Bath Animal Shelter, I was asked if I would attend a "Pet Day" at a local nursery school.  The idea was for the shelter to bring in a puppy to show the class and to go over basic animal care and kindness to animals.  I said, "Sure.  If I can choose the animals."  The shelter agreed and I said that I wanted to take in the puppy named Sampson.  So, we set about determining if Sampson could reliably visit with young children.  When an older child came into the shelter we introduced Sampson - no problem.  The next opportunity with a younger child came and again - no problem.  Great, Sam was cleared to attend Pet Day. 

I took Sam home with me the day before and he ran around in the yard with my dog Sara.  Sara was often dog aggressive, but instantly took to this puppy.  They chased and played and came back to me in the partially fenced yard of the duplex apartment that I lived in with my roommate.  Then I took them inside and gave Sampson his first bath - he hated it.  He has continued to hate baths for his entire life.  He submits to them with much quiet resistance and some civil disobedience (he's a peaceful protestor).  The next morning we went to the nursery school.  Sampson proceeded to wade around in the sea of 4 and 5 year olds laughing and loving it.  They were feeding him biscuits and bringing him water and petting him incessantly - and he LOVED it.  I thought, "Hmmm....  This is a pretty special puppy..." 

When I returned Sampson to the shelter that afternoon I learned that I wasn't the only person who had decided Sampson was special.  The nursery school teacher had sent her husband to the shelter to adopt Sam.  The director (a saint named Vicki Mosgrove) spoke with him while he was there (we were not even back yet).  She told him, "Actually, I think one of our volunteers is very likely to adopt Sampson."  The man said, "Okay" and turned to leave.  Vicki said, "Sir, we have lots of other puppies that you could look at.", and he replied, "Thank you, but I was just supposed to get the puppy named Sampson." and he left. 

When I heard this story I was very confused.  I had never mentioned any intention of adopting Sampson, nor had I really considered it.  Also, the director had broken her own rule - animals are up for adoption until the papers are signed.  She had never, ever turned away a potential adopter because a volunteer was "attached" to an animal.  As volunteers, it's difficult not to want to adopt all the animals, so she knew that sometimes people said things that they wanted but wouldn't or couldn't follow through with. 

So, now there I was.  A good potential home was available for Sampson.  What do I do?  I thought that I should let him go to the nursery school teacher since he was so wonderful with children.  I could adopt another puppy or dog that wasn't headed for a good home.  What to do?  I was quite torn and felt guilty considering adopting Sampson.  I ended up reaching my decision a few days later based on facts, not feelings.  Sam was already nearly housebroken in the shelter - going to great lengths to not "do his business" in his cage (sometimes he would go on the floor as soon as I took him out of his cage because to him that was "outside" of his quarters).  Sam was very quiet and rarely barked and I lived in an apartment and likely would for a while.  My dog Sara had issues with many dogs - but not this one.  Also, Sam's only flaw so far was that he got car sick - not too bad.  So, Sampson adopted me in late March 1995 and we have never second guessed ourselves since.  I'll never know why all of those things happened the way they did - wait, I do know.  Sampson and I were meant to spend more time together than that one day and night - and we certainly have.  We certainly have...

What Were You Doing 16 Years Ago?

Sampson had just been born and I had been laid off from my first full-time engineering job when the group I worked for was dismantled.  I was living in Corning, NY and was able to live on my unemployment benefits :), so I was volunteering for the Bath, NY Animal Shelter and taking riding lessons while I started looking for a new job.  While volunteering at the Shelter one day a family came in with two puppies (sometime in late February 1995).  They wanted to turn in the puppies, but said that they would come back and get them if no one adopted them.  One puppy was reddish brown with a flat coat and floppy ears - the other puppy was Sampson.  Sampson's brother was adopted by a couple who came in before the puppies were even assigned cages.  They were an older couple and they knew immediately that they wanted to take him home.  Sampson, however, wasn't so lucky (or was he :)?  I spent that first afternoon with the as-yet-unnamed puppy Sam sitting on my lap with his head on my shoulder while I pulled mats of burrs out of his furry chest.  He was scared, but very calm and quiet.  I named Sampson while he was at the shelter, long before he adopted me...

What were you doing 16 years ago in early 1995?  We would love to hear from you!

Ruff Nights

Literally.  Ruff, ruff, ruff!!  Sam isn't as mobile as he used to be and when he wants to move during the night, he wakes us up to help him.  Sometimes multiple times in an hour.  It's ruff...  The big upside is that he has started to sleep on the bed a bit again.  He hasn't done that in YEARS, so it's nice to have that treat for a few hours most nights.  Sometimes his frustration is palpable - his mind is so ready to do things and his body isn't cooperating.  I'm learning to appreciate the fact that I can get up and go somewhere when I want to (usually :).  It's the little things.  Wise old dog...

At Your Service





Since Sam and I have been together, he has been "at my service" - now it's my turn.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Anything done with awareness is yoga."  I don't remember where I heard it or who said it, but I still remember the quote.  These days my yoga is helping Sam walk and complete his "daily business" and carrying him up and down our stairs.  All with awareness.  Awareness that it's okay to ask for help (bark, bark, bark!).  Awareness that if you love someone they are never heavy.  Awareness that I'm stronger than I look to most people.  Awareness that we are all on our own journeys.  Sam's energy is strong and he's enjoying his life despite it's current frustrations.  He's still learning.  Learning how to demand attention for the first time in his 16 years of life.  Learning how to lever himself up into a sitting position and carefully pushing up to standing on those tricky hind legs.  Learning how to accept help and comfort.  Still learning.  Sam, I am at your service.