Sammy's Rescue and Recovery

Sammy is on the road to recovery but his medical bills are mounting quickly. We want Sammy to know nothing but happiness and we need your help!

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Sammy is 8 years old and this picture depicts what his entire life has been like up until this month. Living in the mud and surrounded by snow and ice, Sammy sits chained to a filthy and leaky dog house. Sammy has never known the gentle touch of a hug or the warmth of his own bed. He doesn't know what its like to have shelter from winter's toughest storms and to feel safe in his person's arms.

If that isn't bad enough, Sammy is paralyzed. He only has use of his front legs. Just to stay out of the rain and to eat what little food
he was given, Sammy was forced to drag his tiny body across the
freezing, hard ground to stay alive. His pain is excruciating and he
has been living this way for 4 years! His muscles have atrophied and his body has deteriorated.

Despite all of this, when a good Samaritan came to pick up Sammy and to meet his previous owner, Sammy showed nothing but happiness! His complete focus was on his previous owner despite how he had been treated. Sammy has a heart of gold and unwavering devotion.

Due to Sammy's condition and to the amount of time it has been left untreated, we have no doubt that his recovery will be expensive and time consuming. He needs back surgery desperately, not to mention he has not been given shots and heart worm prevention and has not been neutered. Sammy's medical treatment will cost in the thousands yet we know that he is worth it! All American Dachshund Rescue could not let this sweet boy continue to live like this and we are dedicated to his well being and happiness.

Sammy was picked up today from the vets office where he has been staying for a couple of days till one of our members could get him. The vet's office said that he was hard to handle in the crate he came in but once they took him out he was fine. He was updated on his shots and thankfully tested heartworm negative!

They brought Sammy out to me from the back room and put him in my arms and he just relaxed against me like he knew things were FINALLY going to be ok in his life. I held him tight and whispered in his ear that this was the first day of the rest of his life and life was only going to get better from here on out. He seemed to understand and when I put him in the crate to take him to our vets office over 2 hours away he rode in complete silence. When I got him to our vets office and went to the back of my SUV to get him out of the crate he had burrowed under the bed and blankets and didn't seem to want to come out. I'm sure it's probably the first time in a L-O-N-G time he's had enough blankets to burrow under. We went inside and first he went on the scale, the old owner said he weighted 16 lbs when the wheel chair was gotten(4 yrs ago) well he's 11.6 lbs now so we are testing for intestinal parasites. I discovered several wounds on his legs from him dragging his legs while being chained. One is pretty deep. First thing the vet's office is going to do is give him a much needed bath and then schedule a neuter and badly needed dental. We will keep the updates coming as we know more about what can be done for Sammy and his back. Please keep Sammy in your prayers and send him many well wishes. He'd love to get cards while he's at the vet clinic.
Just send them to:
Sammy
% Companion Animal Hospital
2340 S. Ellington Pkwy.
Lewisburg, TN 37091

Donations can be send directly to the vets office also but be sure to put his name on the memo line so they know who the donation is for.

Thank you all for caring so much for one little guy that didn't choose to be on the end of a chain and unable to walk.

Sammy has gone though a transformation. He went from a dachshund that didn't get any attention on the end of the chain that he lived on for 4 yrs to being the hit of the vets office! They have given him a much needed bath. Dressed his wounds and starting to put some much needed weight on him. Sammy is thriving in the environment of love and attention. He's loving and friendly to all who stop to see him or come up to pet him.
But the sad news is that after Dr. Story did x-rays, probed and prodded he has determined that Sammy is not a candidate for surgery on his back. He's been down too long you see and he has no deep pain sensation so that means that nerve is probably completely or most compressed. So sad for Sammy as we are sure that if we or someone would have been able to get to him when it happened he might have been walking today.

Sammy says DON'T BE SAD, he has discovered a NEW freedom. A wheel-chair that gets him where he wants to go and he doesn't walk he RUNS. Free to hunt, free to smell all the new smells but best of all NO CHAIN to keep him in one spot. The girls at the vet office put him in his chair and a leash on him and OFF he goes, like a flash to the door to go outside to smell all the new smells from the last time. Sammy didn't realize that LIFE could be SO good!!
Dr. Story has gotten Sammy UTD on shots, neutered him and gave him a much needed dental, he's now ready to go to his foster home in upstate NY where he'll have a fenced in yard to roam in and he'll even get to go to the day-care where he'll be kissed and petted by all the kids at the day-care. Sammy couldn't be happier!!

We are going to get Sammy into physical therapy for his legs to strengthen them and hopefully some acupuncture to see if that will help his bladder control.

We are trying to get a volunteer flight to get Sammy flown up to NY so he doesn't have to go on a ground transport. Nothing but the best for Sammy from here on out.

Stay tuned for more pictures and updates as Sammy makes his way to NY in the coming weeks.

We are very excited to announce that because of our amazing and dedicated Supporters, AADR has EXCEEDED our donation goal for Sammy! We can not begin to express our deep gratitude to all of you who have been behind us and following Sammy's story. This precious and special little boy is now experiencing a whole new life that includes things he has never known such as a full tummy, a warm bed, kind words, a gentle touch, love, loyalty, and a home to call his own.

Sammy will be traveling this week to his new foster home. A long transport for someone like Sammy could be very uncomfortable and even painful. However, because of your generous donations, we are able to use a paid transport that will be able to meet all of Sammy's needs. He will be let out to get his bladder expressed at regular intervals and will have the best of care.

Here is an update we just received from our transport coordinator, Wendy Mendola:

"Sammy is traveling this Thursday on a paid transport to CT and this means he will finally be leaving the vet clinic. This will be his first time in CT and Jessica Mendola (my lovely daughter ) will be meeting him. She is very excited to meet Sammy as well. I will be traveling to CT when he arrives to finally bring him home."

We sincerely thank each and every one of you for making this happen!! Sammy only has happiness upon his horizon and we will continue to keep you updated on his journey!

Today at 1:30pm Sammy was at the site where we met SafeDogExpress and we loaded up Sammy for his trip to NY. Sammy said good-bye to all his friends he's made at Companion Animal Hospital but he knows that that was just another step in a better life for him. With eager anticipation off he went to be with his new foster mom Wendy. We did take some time to show Shirley and Walter of SafeDogExpress how to express his bladder so he won't be uncomfortable on his ride to NY. He took with him his blanket and toys that a wonderful angel donated to him and his wheelchair. He was anxious to get moving so we took a little video of him heading off.

Sammy is now home. (pictures to follow). He has met all his new friends and they are quite jealous of his cart which he is becoming a master at maneuvering. If he gets caught on something ---I just say back and he backs up and moves on again. He has explored the house and is in love with Velvet- a voluptuous red doxie- who just finds him a bit odd. He was in his cart for probably two hours and I just dressed his feet and tail with A & D ointment, given him a new chewy and put him to bed. He has to be very tired. He wants to thank everyone for getting him to a safe loving home. He has gotten and given a whole lot of kisses today. More info will follow as Sammy settles in to his new foster home in NY.

Sammy had x-rays completed on March 11. He actually is not paralysed. He has feeling in his back legs and can actually stand on them with support. It was found that he has severe calcification between the back 1-3 disks due to an injury and not receiving any medical care. He has an appointment with a well know therapy clinic in Webster, NY on March 25th at 1 PM. Hopefully we can help him to start to use those back legs once again and get better control of his bladder.

He is such a sweet loving little pup. He loves his wheel chair as it provides the mobility that he so desires. He runs ( yes runs) outside, but gets caught in many things since he really believes he is a typical dog and tries to leap over branches and climb into wood piles to catch chipmunks. I follow behind and untangle him as needed.

I will let you know the results of his therapy and what type of therapy they think is best for Sam. He is a happy little guy and love attention, kisses and his new friends. By the way he has gained 2 lbs and loves to eat! (Sort of like his mom)

Wendy

AADR

Sammy just received his new Hug-a-Dog harness and he looks incredibly handsome in it. Thank you so much for this great gift and the gift certificates. Lou and Frank (his brothers) are quite jealous.

Wendy

Update on May 12, 2010

Hi Friends! Its May and I thought I would give an update on my recovery. I am getting stronger every day and a little more spoiled as well. I am still in therapy and will be starting acupuncture this week. This is me on that blasted floppy blue mat- they expect me to stand on it - but it is wobble and I am not steady anyway. They just do not understand that I would rather be 1. running down the hill in my cart or 2. Watching TV under my favorite furry blanket. See you soon in Tennessee!

xo

Sammy (Sam I am)

Picnic Adventure!

May 15, 2010

Here are some photos of Sammy's big journey to TN for AADR's Annual Picnic! He got to ride in an airplane and get comfy at his hotel! Here is a note from his foster mom, Wendy:

These are Sam's traveling photos . He was a perfect angel on the plane, but he loved the hotel beds the best. Sam next appearance will be Fido Fest on June 19 at Boomtown in Farmington, NY. He will be raising money for AADR and making people aware of the importance of rescue organizations. Feel free to make a donation to this important cause on behalf of Sam.

Wendy