This is the time of year Tessa and Sophie like, when they can be out in the yard alternating between running and playing and napping. Sophie’s sister Fena is still with Kathi, and doing better with each passing month. We’re certain if we could find another foster home for one of our two that they both would benefit, but after two and a half years here we haven’t had any takers.

We put off finding a home for Max while we tried to decide what to do about his clogged tear duct. While we have a good veterinary ophthalmologist here in the area, she is booked out several months and we don’t want to wait that long to place him. In the months he has been here he changed from an independent dog who wouldn’t look us in the eye to a loving dog who wants to be with us. The difference is truly remarkable. If we didn’t have another male in the house who doesn’t care for boys, he would already have found his home, but he deserves to be the only dog with some lucky family. We decided we’re going to make it a requirement for his new family to take him to a veterinary ophthalmologist, and we will pay for the procedure.

Last month we had Sonoma and Nala, two litter sisters who originally came from a home where the owner died. They were taken in by a family that already had a Samoyed, but two of them together were just too much so they called us. They went to Melissa to foster, and Nala went from there to a great home in northern Idaho. She had been in so many homes already they named her Gypsy. She has been spayed and had a small hernia repaired and is doing well; she should soon be playing with her new doggie brother again. Sonoma has a new home too, due to something we call foster failure. Our policy has always been that a foster home gets the first chance at the dog they have, and Sonoma is no longer a foster dog. She still lives with Melissa and Terry, but now it’s a forever home. Her new name is Roxy, in tribute to another dog. Splitting up the two girls has been a positive thing for both of them.

Rory is a seven year old in Mercer Island, looking for a home before his human mom leaves to move back to Georgia after her husband’s death. We referred a prior adopter to him, but after three weeks he decided not to adopt this time. Although it put us in a bind timewise, we were able to find someone else, also a previous adopter, who is going to meet him a few days after this report’s deadline. We think the match should be excellent. If not, we’re the safety valve and can take him here. It’s not ideal with two other boys in the house, but it’s why we have so many gates.

This month we’re happy to tell you that Luna has a wonderful new home. Her family has had multiple Samoyeds in the past, understands the breed very well, and at six years old Luna fits their lifestyle. She lives in the Salem area with a Sheltie and a Chihuahua, and is already settling in and playing with them. While we are delighted she is in the right home, we will always miss Luna. In a breed with such wonderful, gentle personalities, Luna was one of the sweetest girls we ever fostered.

Nanuk is a twelve and a half year old foster dog who lives with John and Theresa in Kalama. Last month he had surgery to remove his spleen and a tumor on it. It was an emergency, and rescue paid for it. Their regular vet said he was bleeding internally, and transferred him to an ER vet in Portland where they did the surgery. He came through it with flying colors, and was here for a short visit on August 12. He looks wonderful, and is acting normally five weeks post-op. The vets predict the tumor will return in two or three months, and while we all hope that is not the case, John and Theresa will give him the best life possible, as long as possible.

We often say rescue is less demanding than it was 20 years ago, or even 5 years ago. This month it’s as busy as it was in the old days. We have in rescue, or are working with, eight dogs at once; Sophie, Tessa, Max, Luna, Nala, Sonoma, Rory, and Nanuk.

Still here since February 2018, and likely to be here their entire lives, are Sophie and Tessa. Each month Kathy is able to interact with them a tiny bit more, and once in a while I’m able to almost touch them. Sophie is usually the braver of the two, though Tessa sometimes comes in the house first. I’m able to feed them from my hand at bedtime, and we continue working to get them more comfortable with people.

Two and a half year old Max has been here since February. He is from a good breeder who immediately offered to take him back, but we said we would be able to place him quickly. Of course that was just before the quarantine and we didn’t know we wouldn’t be able to have guests in our home for such a long time. We bent that rule a few weeks ago to introduce Max to a couple, but there was no spark. They are fine people who will remain on our waiting list, but we feel strongly the dog picks the people. They thought the same thing, so they will wait a little longer. During his time here Max has become a different dog, much friendlier and easy going. He and our boy Rowdy are still separated most of the time, but they don’t posture now like they did at first.

On June 15 we were contacted by the Everett Animal Shelter, one of our favorites. They had an owner-surrendered female named Luna, six years old, whose owner said she had an anal gland problem and they couldn’t afford the surgery. Tom and Erin picked her up and brought her here. Our vet says we should monitor the problem, but there is no surgery indicated. We tracked down the breeder with the help of her microchip, and not only is it a good breeder, it’s a good friend. They immediately offered to take Luna back, but we have a number of good applicants and we are happy to keep her here for now. The home that gets Luna will get a real prize of a dog.

In March we were contacted by the son of a man who passed away. He was a former adopter of ours and had purchased two puppies from a breeder in Michigan, and his son wanted us to take them. We said yes, and talked to the breeder who was happy not to get them back. Meanwhile the sister of the man who called located a home with a Samoyed who was willing to take the two pups, who were nine months old in March. The family that took them realized it wasn’t working out because they didn’t have the resources for two young dogs. We arranged for him to take the pups, Nala and Sonoma, to Erin and Tom, who brought them to us. The next morning they went to live with Melissa and Terry, where they have been since June 28. Darlene did a home visit to a home in northern Idaho, and Nala will be going there in a week. We think we have a home for Sonoma, and we’re finalizing the arrangements.

Living with John and Theresa in Kalama is Nanuk, now called Nikkee. Instead of an adoption, we decided to place him as a foster dog. Just before the writing of this report he was taken to the vet because he wasn’t feeling well. His vet believed he was bleeding internally and Nikkee ended up at an ICU/ER vet in Portland, where his spleen and a tumor were removed the same evening. He was a very sick dog who now has a good chance for full recovery. This is the reason we have had fundraisers over the years, so we could afford a $7,000 emergency surgery. We are fortunate to be in a position to take care of him.

Rory was purchased from a pet store in Queens, NY and lived in the Seattle area. He is seven, and when his human dad died he went to another couple in Mercer Island. Last November the man died and his wife needs to move in with her sister in Georgia. She contacted us because she wants to know he his safe here in weather he knows, rather than finding a new home in such a hot and humid area. The weekend of this writing one of our former adopters will take his family to meet Rory. We hope it goes well.

Because we have so many dogs at once we have been sifting through applications on hand. We have some good ones, but if you know of someone who is qualified for a rescue, please ask them to visit our website at www.nwsams.com and send us an application. Thank you to all our supporters!

There is not much new this month with Sophie and Tessa. After almost a year and a half here they have plateaued on confidence. They are taking food from our hands, but they still run if confronted with anything more than a shadow (and sometimes a shadow spooks them). They come in the door to the house a little more easily. With good weather they like to sleep in the yard, but still come running when it’s time to eat.

We thought we had the right home for Max with a couple in BC, but they decided he would be a little too much dog for someone their age, and reluctantly we agreed with them. He and Rowdy don’t get along, so we keep the gates shut in the house. Every month he mellows a little and he’s going to be an ideal dog for his next family. We will soon begin home visits again and we have someone in mind for him.

Last month I mentioned that Nanuk had been attacked by a Pit mix but was recovering nicely. His only injury was on his muzzle, and now that the stitches are out and the hair is growing back, he’s once again a handsome boy.

Each month we’re going to feature a special rescue dog from the past. This is about Hope (from June, 2010)

There are as many stories of mistreatment of dogs as there are dogs who find their way to rescue. We experienced a first this month when we heard of a dog at the Puyallup shelter and checked on her. The shelter said she was afraid of everybody and they thought she had been dumped. They were pretty sure she was kept in a crate for months, if not years. They said she was so horribly matted that her intake form actually said “intact male.”

Kathy was there to pick her up the moment she was available. She hid in a half-bath off our laundry room. When we got close she tuned out as though we weren’t there. If she had room she scurried out of the way. It appears she never had a moment of socialization or human contact. The area she was found is residential, nice, and not the place a puppy mill or even a backyard breeder would be. She is debarked, which isn’t done casually, and it was a well-done surgery. If someone cared that much it’s impossible to understand her history. We named her Hope, because it’s how we see her future.

In July, at our rescue picnic, a couple met Hope and asked to take her home. They were patient with her and she because accustomed to people. She was happy there, although they fed her way too much.

Max has been here since early this year. When he arrived he paid little attention to people, didn’t know his name, and tuned us out most of the time. Now he has become a social dog who loves to be with us, obeys (most of the time), and treats the girls with respect. Well, at least most of the time. He doesn’t get along well with our boy Rowdy so we’re keeping them on opposite sides of gates when indoors. Outside they ignore each other. Having Max around and watching him learn and grow has been a joy.

Sophie and Tessa continue to make progress, which is now very, very slow. Although I can’t touch them yet, there is one exception. When they go in their crates at night I can hand them food, and when they eat what they drop from the bottom of the crate I can pet them. The next step is to gradually teach them it’s safe to let me approach at other times, but honestly I don’t ever expect that to happen. Fortunately, Kathy is able to walk up to them in the kitchen and feed them from her hand. Increasingly, they let her touch and sometimes pet them. If they ever leave here they need a home without men.

Nanuk is recovering from an encounter with another dog. He was in his own yard with Theresa when a pit bull mix staying across the street got loose, ran over, and bit his face over the fence. Fortunately he didn’t get in the yard. The owner said he would pay the vet bill, but poor Nanuk has a number of staples in his muzzle. The police were called and a report was taken.

A couple weeks ago we heard about a disabled puppy who needed a home. She has some sort of neurological problem, caused by something at birth, and can’t walk on her own. Two of our wonderful previous adopters said they would take the challenge and see what happens. After working with the puppy, whose new name is Hope, they know they need some formal rehabilitation. Whether it’s water therapy or someone who has experience with dogs like this, they need someone with experience who can help with the job. It might be one of you, or a professional trainer, or someone who does doggie rehab. If you have any idea who in the Portland area can do that, please contact us. This is a pup who needs our whole village.

In the past 18+ years of rescue we’ve had a lot of challenges, but none as great as having to do nothing. Since we are in the age category of “high risk,” we’re sheltering in place, going nowhere, and not letting anyone visit foster dogs. While we still plan take in dogs in need, we’re not going to place any until we are comfortable letting outsiders into our homes. That means Max will be staying here, which gives us an opportunity to work with his training. He has been here now for four months, during which we weren’t able to find the right home. Although we may have an idea for one now, we still have to wait.

Tessa and Sophie have been here for 27 months, improving gradually in trusting, but still afraid of nearly everything. What happened between the puppy mill and the backyard breeder was criminal. Literally criminal, in this case, since Barb Kavars, owner of White Fire Samoyeds, has ended her appeal of the charges against her because she ran out of places to appeal. She was convicted of animal neglect and given two years of probation, a sentence of 420 months (suspended) and a fine of $910. When you consider the 300+ Samoyeds she neglected and mistreated that’s a slap on the hand, but at least it’s an official slap with a prohibition against owning dogs for two years. We will continue working with the girls until they trust humans.

We were asked to take a pair of young dogs last month because their owner died. He bought them from a backyard breeder in the Midwest because he didn’t think he could get one in the Northwest because of the home visit requirement. While we were trying to locate that breeder to ask whether she wanted them returned, the family gave them to someone who already had a Sammy. Since that time we learned it was a good home, and we’re happy a solution was found.

We have been working with a woman in the Bellevue area who found a dog that looks like a clipped Sammy. She found him and decided to take care of him herself because she doesn’t want to take him to the shelter, and meanwhile is making posts on social media trying to find the owner. Years of experience tell us that’s a bad idea, because people automatically check shelters first, and there are still a large percentage of dog owners who aren’t on Facebook and don’t know to look at Craigslist. We have to be careful because many people believe shelters are bad, and would rather not take a dog there. As it happens, we have a good relationship with King County and we know they have some good people. If we push too hard we might break the lines of communication, so all we can do is urge the finder to do what we know is right. At this writing she still has the dog, and we’re trying to let people know.

On February 28 a woman left her four month old puppy in her car at lunch and he was stolen. She notified everyone she could, including us, and we put his flyer on our Facebook rescue page. She also posted it herself in many places, and someone contacted her (and us) with the name of the person who allegedly took him. She contacted the police department with the information; according to her they sent an animal control officer who got no answer and left. She decided to take shifts with her friends watching the apartment until the people were there, and somehow (we don’t have details) got them to open the door, at which time the dog ran out. They chased him down and caught him and he is back home safely again. The people at that address have been convicted of theft before, but this time nothing happened to them. We understand the dog is a 50/50 mix of Samoyed and Sibe, bought from “a breeder in Michigan.” The bottom line is that a stolen dog may not be high priority enough to get help from the police department. She took a huge chance, and fortunately this time things ended up okay.

Max is still here. We are trying to find a home where he will be the only dog, and it should be with experienced Samoyed people. He is uncommonly strong-willed and turns off his hearing when he doesn’t want to do something. Because he doesn’t want to be with other males we have to separate him from Rowdy, who doesn’t especially care for Max either. He wants to play with the girls but he doesn’t hold back; Sophie especially doesn’t understand how to respond. She cowers and he knocks her down, so we have to keep a close eye on him when they are in the yard together. His former owner surrendered him because he “didn’t get along with her older female Sammy.” After this much time here we think it’s likely he wanted to play and she didn’t. Whatever the cause, Max needs to be an only dog, or at the least be in a home with one female and a very experienced alpha human. None of the applications we have on file are quite right, so he is stuck with us for now.

There are no real changes with Tessa and Sophie. Recently Kathy has been able to do a little grooming on Tessa, which is positive. Sophie has tolerated that for several months already. The biggest change has been with Fena, who is with Kathi Bacon. Fena seems to enjoy her dog walker, a man, and that’s a very big deal.

In February we received an email from a rescuer in Virginia. A friend of hers was in Seattle picking up a dog she bred because the owner couldn’t keep him. She had a new crate shipped for his trip back east, but the airline refused it because his ears touched the top. She planned to buy a larger crate locally and wanted to donate the first one to rescue. We got in touch with her, and Tom Sitterley offered to help. He met her and suggested where to get a larger replacement, and then helped at the airport. Tom and Erin are storing the crate, which means we now have an extra in Seattle for the next dog who needs to be transported to us. All this, from the first email to her flight back, happened in just a few hours, so we’re grateful for Tom’s quick assistance.

Last month Jiaozi was about to move in, and this month we have Max. We’re talking about the same dog, because we decided since he didn’t know his name we’d give him one that can be pronounced. After he arrived we were able to trace him back to his breeder, and he comes from someone we know and respect. She sold him as a pup to a Chinese couple who sent reports that he was doing well, but it appears they gave him to their daughter and didn’t mention it. The daughter moved and gave him to her boyfriend, whose green card expired. He moved to China, but before he left he posted the dog online and sold him to a woman in Seattle last May. In June she contacted us because he didn’t get along with her older Samoyed, but each email took her longer to answer. Finally we saw her post on a Facebook group saying she was sadly rehoming him and we wrote to her again. It took another few weeks but she finally agreed to release her dog to us. Kathy met her half way and he came to live here.

Max, who still doesn’t seem to recognize his name, has been with us longer than usual. Since he didn’t get along with the older Sammy girl, we’ve been looking for a home where he would be the only dog in the house. He and our boy Rowdy let us know the second night that they don’t like to be in the same room, so we have closed all our gates, which we have at almost every doorway. Fortunately, in the yard they ignore each other. Since he seems to have a pronounced prey drive we also don’t want to risk him being with cats or other small animals. He seems to have never had any training, so the home must understand how strong-willed and downright stubborn these dogs are. Homes where the people have had a Samoyed, where there are no pets now living, and who want a male, are few and far between. Hans and Holley did a home visit in Lynnwood and reported it would be great, but two days later the people wrote to say they are getting a Border Collie this Spring and weren’t ready for a Samoyed. We went through our entire waiting list and we don’t have anyone quite right for Max. Our plan is to put him on either our Facebook rescue page or my personal page. It’s a question of which will find the most suitable home and we’re still deciding. For now, we continue living with dogs that have to be separated.

Sophie and Tessa are still here, still fearful of the world in general and men in particular. Fena is with Kathi Bacon and doing much better than the dogs we have. We also have a foster boy in a home in Kalama, Nanuk (now called Nikki), who is a senior and will be there permanently. By establishing him as a foster dog, we agreed to be responsible for any extraordinary costs. The dog they had before Nanuk had some severe medical issues that cost well

into five figures. Nanuk couldn’t be in a more perfect home. He gets long walks daily, has his own place in their RV, and loves his humans. Cloud is still with Darlene as we try to find the right home for him, too. Her willingness to foster a dog when she has new puppies is a really big deal to us and we are grateful to her for keeping him.

Last month we had just heard about a seizure of dogs in Montana and that a couple of them might be Samoyeds. Tom Hannon found someone who was able to go to the shelter, and she confirmed that their report of Huskies was correct.

As we say so often, our volunteers are what makes Samoyed Rescue possible, and we love them all. Thank you!

In recent years we haven’t seen the number of dogs we did in the “old days,” but the beginning of this year feels like we have gone back in time. First was Starla, the young female we picked up from a home where they didn’t have the time she needed; we are more convinced than ever that Starla’s family genuinely had her best interests in mind. Starla has a new home now and couldn’t have landed anywhere better. She now lives with Bruce and Bess. Starla (now Star) has decided she loves to run, including in the snow, and she gets daily walks and weekends full of skijoring. They are carefully watching her weight and she is losing her extra pounds while getting in shape. It must feel like being at fun camp. We traced the breeder and placed him with her knowledge.

Since June we’ve had our eyes on Jaiozi, a young male in the Seattle area. The owner asked if we could help, and we were able to work out a meeting with a previous adopter. Jaiozi moved to eastern Washington – for a day. He turned out to be too much for our adopter because he had too much energy and pulled on the leash, which she couldn’t handle. A month or two later we saw the dog on Facebook, and we contacted the owner again. Communication has been slow, but if things work out the way we expect, he should be in foster in about a week from the writing of this report. Our fingers are crossed. He is being re-homed because he doesn’t get along with the other resident Samoyed.

We are grateful to Darlene for fostering Cloud, a boy we placed two years ago in Boise. His family had an opportunity to buy a business in Hawaii but couldn’t find a place to rent that would take Cloud. Darlene stepped in and took him while they kept looking, but word came that they just can’t find anything they can afford. She checked her own list without success, so now we’re going through names on our waiting list. There are at least two that match his needs, and we’ll decide which to call.

Each month we have small successes with Sophie or Tessa. Having kibble in the office, and offering Sophie a piece from my hand if she asks for it, has been helpful. Gradually I have put the kibble farther back on my hand, and now when she takes it I can touch her under the neck. She retreats, but comes back for another, while Tessa stands in the hall and catches hers. At night when the two go in their crates I’m able to feed both from my hand, and now when I drop some on the crate pad I can pet them while they eat it. First it was Sophie, and in the last few days Tessa doesn’t jump back when touched. A lot of this is desensitization, and although it’s glacially slow it’s beginning to work. Kathy is able to approach both of them, and depending on surroundings can often scratch both Sophie (she seems to like it) and Tessa (who tolerates it). The end of this month will mark two years since they got here. It looks more and more like they will live out their lives with us.

Fena, who is living with Kathi, is becoming more a normal dog every day. All three dogs came to us afraid of men, but Kathi has a dog-walker her dogs all love. Fena jumps in his car, goes to the dog park, and comes when he calls her. It has been a tremendous benefit that Kathi has a well-adjusted Samoyed girl who shows Fena that life is good there and everyone can be trusted. That doesn’t mean strangers are okay, but she is working on that too.

There was a seizure very recently in western Montana, where news reports say 25-30 “adult huskies” were taken from a bad situation where they were neglected and “in the wild” and saved just in time. After watching their video, we don’t see wild dogs, but we DO see at least two that look like Samoyeds. We’re trying hard to find someone we can trust to visit and tell us whether they are Sammies, but Hamilton, MT is 200 miles from anyone we could ask. If anyone has any ideas we would welcome your thoughts.

Brand new this month is Starla, a three year old Samoyed girl from the Tacoma area. We first saw her listed on a Facebook group, and replied that we exist to help find Samoyeds a new home. The woman had received Starla as a gift for her daughter as a puppy, but as she got older she was just too much for a single mom to handle. We get that a lot in rescue, and usually the people are really trying eliminate all the work. We are confident this one was different. The woman and her daughter desperately wanted to keep Starla and decided to find a new home for her benefit. The owner worked full time and her daughter is in school, so Starla was alone much of the time. Kathy went to pick her up, and reported the woman was in tears the whole time she was there.

Starla came with enough toys, food, and bedding to fill most of the car. They apparently compensated by giving her treats, and as a result she is a full figured girl at 67 pounds (we think 50 would be about right). Starla has an appointment with our vet for a check-up and we expect she will get a clean bill of health; she is current on all vaccinations. They are transferring her records from the woman’s vet, something we routinely do. When Starla is adopted we will call the new vet and give them our vet’s name and number so the records will follow her. We have already contacted someone we know would give her a terrific home. More photos of Starla are at https://nwsams.smugmug.com/Rescue/Starla/.

Last month we had Bear, who now lives in Lake Oswego with an ideal couple who have had Samoyeds in their lives for a long time. The husband calls the downstairs room his “man cave,” but as Melissa pointed out, man caves don’t have doggie doors and this one does. Outside the door is a large doggie area which opens to an even bigger yard. It was too bad we didn’t need another dog because Bear was wonderful. Combine that with a couple so nice that, after she did the home visit, Melissa asked them to adopt her along with the dog. It’s a memorable match. Incidentally, we called their vet to transfer records from the former owner; we don’t disclose names to either the former or new owners, but we give complete info to the vet so they can get the records. Having a health history from puppyhood through their entire life is a benefit to every dog.

This sounds like a broken record, but Sophie and Tessa continue to make progress. Kathy is now able to pet Sophie whenever she is near, and can approach Tessa without her running away. A couple weeks ago she was able to sit and pet Tessa’s head. I now keep a container of kibble on my desk and offer some in my hand when they come into the office. The last few weeks I have been trying to put the kibble on my palm so my fingers can scratch Sophie as she takes it. She has gone from backing up quickly to tolerating the touch. I still have to toss the kibble to Tessa, who won’t come that close, but she is a phenomenal catcher. At night I feed both of them from my hand after they go into their crates, and drop some in front of them. While they eat, I pet them. Slight improvements from week to week are all I’m getting, but it’s progress.

Darlene continues to foster Cloud, the dog we placed in Boise a couple years ago, while his owners try to find a rental in Hawaii that will take him. Many thanks go to Darlene for doing this.

At the end of the year we think back and remember all the generous donors who help us run rescue. Some send small amounts every month, and some send larger donations annually. Others send funds for special occasions, or in memory of either dogs or people. We appreciate every single one of them because they are the reason we can do rescue and charge a lot less for dogs than they cost us. There is a different way of donating that you may not think of, and that’s donation of your time. We have a cadre of friends and volunteers who check dogs in shelters, find them online, and do those things that we aren’t able to do because of distance. Thank you to all of you for your generous support. If you want to see what your help has allowed us to do, look at https://nwsams.com/rescues/

Remember this time of year that you can be a great help if you go to Amazon through the link on our website. They send a small percentage to us from everything you buy, and it adds up. The link is at https://nwsams.com/amazon/ (click the Amazon logo).

Ron

New this month is Bear, a foster we picked up at the Everett shelter. He was surrendered on his 7th birthday by a family who became homeless. The shelter called us right away, and Erin and Tom were there the next morning to pick him up and whisk him to us. Bear is a big friendly boy who passed the puppy stage long ago and is a real lover who just wants to be with people. He is quite underweight, something we don’t see often. So far he is getting along with all the other dogs, for the most part, but Rowdy is beginning to object to another male and we’ll have to deal with it. In the meantime we’re working on finding him a new forever home.

During the recent nice weather, Tessa and Sophie wanted to sleep in the yard, and except for meal times they preferred not to come in. No amount of persuasion got them through the door, so for the first time we had to leave a dog in the yard while we were gone. It’s not a big deal except for years of habit; we would rather dogs were inside and secure before we leave. Now that the rains have returned they are willing to come in the door and stay in most of the time. I have been giving Sophie kibble from my hand each time she enters the office, which is helping her to understand it’s OK to get close to me. Kathy is able to approach both of them and is starting to put hands on Sophie. With Tessa it’s only when she is cornered that she can be touched. We’ll keep working with them.

Two years ago Darlene fostered a dog named Cloud until a family from Boise could meet and adopt him. Recently they decided to move to Hawaii, and were not able to immediately find a place to rent that would take a large dog. We saw the photos of Cloud with their kids, and it was heartbreaking to think they might have to give him up. Darlene stepped in again and will foster him while they move and look for the right accommodations. We were happy to find out the laws on quarantine have changed, and with some tests here they will be able to fly back and take him to his new home on the islands. We’re extremely grateful to Darlene for helping keep this family together.