SAM - the dog who nearly wasn't

This is Sam. He's the 5 month old pup who had been left in an empty apartment for 3 days, found by the landlord, and was on his way to being euthanized until a kind soul stepped in and contacted me. It was too late for his little brother, but Sam is now a part of our family.

Sam is huge. The vet thinks he has a mix of pit-bull terrier and mastiff, and he seems to have characteristics of both breeds; energy to burn from the pit side, but the easy-going, gentle nature of the mastiff.
I was planning on putting him up for adoption. I already had Mommy living at home and didn't really want to take on the responsability of more doggies. Because it is a responsability...similar to that of caring for children. Sam's intelligent and loving nature may have changed my mind anyway, but it was the reaction of my resident pets that determined his fate.

Mommy, after showing him who was boss, accepted him happily, but Bandit, my cat, was the one who clinched our decision. When Sam first approached Bandit it was with all the enthusiasm of a big, rambunctious puppy. Instead of trying to escape, Bandit crouched and stayed put. There was no hissing while the pup nosed him; it was more a bored attitude of 'Ok, get on with it then lay off!'. Cats do that attitude so well! The point is, he knew better than any of us that there was no danger, just plenty of curiousity. When Sam looked up at me, did that little puppy wiggle of joy, then proceeded to lick Bandit's ears, he scored his points. My brain was saying no, but my heart had already said yes.

There is not a day that this pup doesn't make me laugh. His absolute 'joie-de-vivre' is contagious. He knows to step back if the ladies of the house are out of sorts, puzzled though he may be, and is quite willing to give way when they get bossy. He follows my every move in the house. Going to the bathroom alone is a thing of the past, and he even joined me in the jacuzzi one night, slipping of the edge and into the jets. His expression when he landed in the water still makes me giggle! He decided he liked it, so I stood up and gave him a bath, and now I have to warn him to stay out each time I'm in there.

In my mind there are FEW good reasons to end such an animal's life prematurely. I am thankful that more and more humans seem to be realizing this; anti-cruelty laws, mandatory sterilization, multiple rescues, the acceptance that these are intelligent, living beings with feelings - all helping to pave the way for sharing our world as nature intended - and this makes me SMILE.

Sharing it with you on this beautiful Sunday!

Luv from the Bush in QUebec.