March 2016
Twice this month we were approached about taking or placing a dog. The first was a family in the Bremerton area who has a seven month old dog they don’t have time for. It’s a common story, especially at that age, and we hear it from people who bought from a backyard breeder and weren’t told how much work a Samoyed puppy is. This time it was a true backyard dog from someone who “didn’t mean to have a litter” and ended up with puppies. They asked if we could find an adopter close to them so they could be involved with their dog later. We explained to them that the adoption of a dog is similar to that of a human, and it’s unlikely anybody would be willing to do that. They plan a family meeting later this month to decide what to do, and we hope they will find a way to keep him. It’s not the dog’s fault he was purchased by someone who didn’t understand he would take some effort.
The other dog was listed as a Samoyed mix on Craigslist and we contacted the owner. He has been visiting the neighbor’s chickens and it always ends badly. When they sent pictures we couldn’t see any Sammy in the dog, but one shot looked like a pit mix. We offered to help as much as we could (without taking the dog), but fortunately they decided they will keep him and work with the problem. Hopefully they will work on fixing the fence, too.
As has been the case recently we haven’t had any Samoyeds needing homes, but we continue to get applications. Currently we have about three dozen families on the waiting list, many of them previous adopters or people with lots of Sammy experience. As good as this is for the dogs, it’s frustrating for all of us. We always say we’d love to be put out of business, but we didn’t expect it would happen this fast.
The bite Melissa received while checking on a dog last month is healing fine. We talked over the situation and decided we had no choice about reporting the dog to animal control, so she filed a report. The animal control officer agreed, but since this is a first offense the dog will be allowed to remain in her home. We feel this is an unpredictable dog, and she already has attacked several other people. She must now wear a muzzle if not in her back yard, and since the muzzle is what set her off last month, the owner can’t to put it on her. That means a life relegated to being alone in the yard. We feel bad for the dog, but it had to be reported.
A few days ago we received a picture of Misty, the young girl we had late last year. She lives with a family many of us know, people who have had Sammies their whole lives. She ended up in the perfect home. Here’s a picture of Misty greeting her family with a morning woo.
The tentative date for our annual rescue picnic this year is July 9.