Hurting SAM????

I had a VERY rude phone call this morning from a "Debbie" who is accusing me of hurting SAM to get him to growl.  I invite her to come and visit SAM and see how cranky he is.  He would have probably been put down if I hadn't had the patience with him in the beginning..he scared me he was so cranky.  All it takes to get him to growl is to very gently squeeze or very gently touch his leg.  He actually bites his own leg MUCH harder than I touch it. Mostly he just growls on his own anyway!  I am NOT touching his legs in any of the snarly photos but I did lightly squueze his leg on camera .   I invite anyone with complaints to come and see how absolutly adored and well cared for this dog is and to touch his leg and see how little it takes to get him snarly.  One time, SAM came SCREAMING into the house dragging his back leg..I dropped the dish I was carrying and thought he had gotten out and been hit by a car or something.  When I caught up with him in the bedroom he was looking back at his back leg and screaming and growling..WELL...there was a post-it note stuck on his rump..he had sat on it on the sofa and it stuck.  The last thing in the world I would do is hurt SAM but it does NOT take much to get him growling//usually he just does it on his own anyway!  Thank Goodness there are people willing to take in cranky, unwanted dogs and give them the doggy dream-life rather than having them put down.  Again, Debbie, I am sorry you feel the way you do but maybe there are better causes to put your energy into than insulting me..like protecting animals that really are being abused or are starving or neglected.  SAM eats filet mignon and home-made meals,  drinks bottled water and sleeps on Egyptian cotton sheets..abuse????  SAM is a VERY LOVED and HAPPY boy!

Comments

[cluttergirl]

My gosh! I'm here via someone else's blog, and I had to write about "hurting Sam". I take my dog everyday to the coffeeshop where I work for an hour and she waits outside, peoplewatching and getting petted. People walking by stop and say "how terrible, how awful, how horrible!" as she is lying on the concrete, totally happy and vegged out (if she wants to leave she stands up and barks). I give her her lunch before I order my coffee, go out and give her water, and at halftime give her more water and pigs ears. Everyday. And everyday someone or ten or twenty accuse me of abusing her since she doesn't have a "big enough" bowl of water (I leave the water only to dissuade people from thinking she's abused... as she drinks from a bottle before I go in, and at halftime), and she's "forced" to lay there. SHE hates to be left at home, that's what she hates. Not coming with. Not to mention "she should be in the countryside running around" ... she's a 10 yr old Saint with arthritis who cannot walk more than 10 minutes without limping. Someone even said to me at the dog park "that's the dog that's tied up in the hot sun everyday!!" when I never even WALK her on the sunny side of the street in summer, let alone tie her in the sun. There is a balcony overhang that shades the coffeeshop where we go. It is really sad that it is the dogs that are most on view as they are accompanying their owners, totally loved and spoiled, not the ones that are locked alone unseen at home all day, or abandoned at farms etc, that are the ones attracting the rabid "anti-abuse" comments. SAM really is quite a looker, and it is obvious from the photos of you two together how much he loves you and vice versa. Thanks for being such a good friend to SAM.

[Cara]

I, too, took in an "emotionally challenged" pet--a cat who I named Hilda. She hissed and spit and growled when I first brought her home, but after a while (and alotta lovin') she calmed down and is now a sweetie. She still has her moments, but who knows what she went through before I took her in? It's funny...I think that the "underdogs" know you pretty much saved their lives. They tend to stare at you a lot and stay close by. Glad I decided to give her a chance!

[Josh & Angel]

Sam looks like he is pampered very well. He is actually kind of cute : )
Looks like this old man was able to find a good home. So sorry others cannot see how blessed Sam is.

[Tracy]

That post-it-note story made me laugh out loud at my desk! The poor little guy! I'm known by my friends & family to be a huge animal lover & try to help & rescue any animal that I can. If I'm driving down the street & find an animal roaming around I'm quick to pull over to either see if I can locate its owner in the area or to take it home with me to care for it until I find the animals’ owner or a new owner. (The most recent find I still have & will not be giving her up, she is my newest LOVE.) I think what you have done for Sam is quite incredible. I must admit that when I first saw pictures of him I felt so bad for him & just assumed that he was in pain (from his appearance)& being exploited, yet after seeing you on TV & reading your posts I realize that he is not being exploited, that he is very much loved & apparently isn't in any pain. I also realized that if he was you seem like the type of person that would instantly tend to any serious medical problems with him. I've always believed that I would come to the rescue of any animal but after seeing what you have done & how you treat Sam well all "kudos" go to you. He is lucky & so are your other dogs. Thank you for taking him in & for providing him with a life that I'm not sure many other people would have. Oh yes & to you & Sam - congrats on your win!!!

[Caitlin]

Obviously Debbie has never had a cranky or anti-socail dog before. My unlce has a Welsh Corgi name Murry who by far is the biggest crouch on the planet. He'll go balistic if you say the word "Kisses." He'll come rushing out of any corner of the house, snarling and barking like he's going to kill you. Then if you start kissing him on the head he'll curl his lips and acts like he'll bite you. He never has and never will. Murry really doesn't make "happy" sounds. His way of talking is growling. This dog's way of begging even sounds like he's Cujo. He's cranky but he does love his owners and is treated very well. So just because a dog growls and snarls doesn't mean they are mistreated. that could just their little weird personalities.^^

[Petrina]

I had a chihuahua who would go into cujo-like fits with little provocation. She too would have been put down if we hadn't taken her in and been patient. I commend you on taking such good care of Sam!

[Susan]

I fell in love with that adorable face the first moment I saw him. I'm jealous of Tater Tot! Hehehe.... keep up the info on Sam, he's just a cutie pie!

[Carey]

I have worked in 2 animal shelters (I work at one now), I helped start a dog rescue with my friend and I work at a vet's office. If I would have seen a dog like Sam come in the shelter, I would have scooped him up right away. I love the under-dogs. One time we got in a pit bull mix that had severely deformed legs and was extremely fearful of people. They were going to put him down but I asked them to give me some time to work with him. He adapted to me very quickly and I begged a friend of mine to take him and foster him - she did and now two years later "Buddy" loves his new home and mom. Buddy gets acupuncture once a week for his legs (he was mistreated and malnourished as a pup). She now has 3 "reject" dogs (all of which were going to be put down). There needs to be more people like you willing to put up with dogs' little quirks. Dogs don't care what we look like, so why should we care what they look like!?

[Angelina]

Sam is just a precious little baby! I am obsessed with that face, and that funny, perfect little growl/howl/whatever the heck that thing is! "Debbie" has no idea what she's talking about and can just go away. I wish I could meet Sammie and take the little bugger home and spoil him to death, but I guess you've already done that, haha. I LOVE THE POST-IT STORY!!! Cute AND a crazy cranky little wimp, how much better can this puppydog get? Don't pay attention to Debbie. Any dog that eats filet mingon (which apparently I can't even spell...) is far from "abused".

[Minstelae]

Sorry, random post here. Saw the site posted at another site I post on, and came to it, then saw the blog and was curious.

Some people are just rude, and care only about appearances. But the cool thing about dogs, and other animals, is that they don't. Hopefully that idiot will stop bothering you.

He seems like a normal dog to me, on the inside. He has his likes, dislikes, and things that annoy him. In other words, he has personality, and I'm sure he greatly appreciates the fact that he is well-loved by his person.

[tracy]

Hi there, dog lover. Sam is lucky to have you. People who rescue animals have very special personalities. My rescued Aussie "k.d." bites me several times a day, every day, but she is trying to herd her favorite "sheep". I'm black and blue, but I wouldn't trade her or my unpettable rescued Maine Coon cat, Zatarain. Yes, she is unpettable, came in as a foster, but who would take a cat you can't pet, no matter how beautiful she is? Only me, lol, because I kept her. She'll rub against you, follow you around, sit on your lap, sleep with you, but don't TOUCH her. She'll bite, hiss and spit and swat if you do. I thought the post-it note post was hilarious. Hang in there!

[Liza]

Hi there,

I'm from Johannesburg - South Africa and received an email with pics of Sam. I'm an animal lover & my 1st thought was - shame - what happened to the poor doggy. Then I did some research :) I must comment you on taking Sam in & caring for him. Not many people would go through all that for an animal.

God bless,

Liza van der Pluym
South Africa

[Steph]

Those kind of comments are uncalled for - especially when it's clear that you care so much for Sam and your other "kids." I have a rotweiler/beagle "pound princess" that makes a horrible face if you touch her nose! She scared the bejesus out of us in the beginning, but she is the sweetest, most well behaved dog! And she loves to make "the face" too! I'm telling you, everyone that meets her wants to take her home. Keep up the good work with your rescue pets and Congratulations on Sam's award!

[Eric]

Honestly, what type of a person calls up someone they don't even know and accuses them of abusing a dog whom obviously lives a better life than their own?

Seriously! I think "Debbie" has a few screws loose or is greatly envious of the life Sam lives.

Be careful! You never know what some weirdos will do for attention!

[Lauren]

That is horrible! That women doesn't know what she is talking about! I have a dog that if you pick her up she growls and makes evil faces. Well good luck with this women.