March 2017
New to rescue this month is Snow, a nine year old female Samoyed who had been turned in to the Clackamas County shelter. The woman who turned her in said someone in the family had given the dog to her 18 months earlier and she didn’t want her. We scanned for a chip and learned it was implanted by a vet in Oregon City, so we called them. They refused to give us any information about the breeder, except for the dog’s age; she is now nine years and four months old. They agreed to tell the breeder the dog was with rescue. On a chance, we checked the OFA records and found a White Cloud dog born exactly that long ago. Her name is White Cloud’s Lady Snow. We’re not surprised the breeder never called us. Our only surprise is that this breeder did any tests at all.
Melissa went to the shelter and picked her up, then met Kathy, who took Snow home. She is a wonderful dog. I know we always say that, but it’s what we get for working with Samoyeds. Snow is especially mellow. Our usual procedure with a new dog is to walk them in the front yard for a while before taking the leash off. That lets them get rid of the nervous energy before we introduce our pack, one dog at a time. The whole process was about ten minutes this time before she was happily in the middle of five other dogs. Playing started soon afterward. Since then, Snow and Rowdy have been constantly in motion; we have never experienced a nine year old dog who plays so hard. Grooming is nearly impossible because of the weather and rolling around in whatever happens to be there, but a happy dog is more important than a perfect coat. It looks like she was clipped close and her coat is still growing out. Snow’s tail has very little hair, so we had her tested for thyroid levels, which were perfect. Other tests showed some levels that weren’t ideal, so we had tests run again and they were much better. The vet’s opinion is that fleas and poor nutrition were the cause.
Snow is going to be heading to Ellensburg to live with Karen, who has adopted from us twice before. She has some things going on, so Snow will be here for another week or two. She’s heading for daily walks and a city full of friends because of Karen’s work with the Farmer’s Market.
A week ago we had email from someone asking us to take her five year old Sammy because she is too much for them. That’s something we hear often. Sometimes it’s “she deserves better” or “we can’t keep her from barking,” but it all means the same. People get a dog from a backyard breeder who doesn’t tell them how much work and exercise the breed requires, or how much energy they have. We have responded twice since, but with no more contact. We hope next month’s report will have more about her.
You probably remember Freya, the girl who had entropion, a painful problem where the eyelashes grow inward. She had surgery and went to live with Anita and her husband Howard, where Freya has flourished. Not long afterward she was joined by Nanuk.
In May, 2016, we had a request for a visit to a hospice patient in Albany, Oregon. The original request came from family in England, and it was passed through Facebook by a breeder in the Midwest. They said their father loved Samoyeds and would like to see one again. Our adopters and volunteers are the most generous bunch of people in the world. Within an hour of getting the request, adopter Anita King and her boy Nanuk were ready to help. Over the past year they have returned many times. Here is the story as written by Anita; a reminder what our gentle dogs are capable of doing.
Nanuk the “Therapy” Dog by Anita King
Sometime last spring, California resident Mark Carter went on a search for a Samoyed Therapy Dog who could visit his father, Don in Albany, Oregon. Don was recovering from recent surgery that had identified a late stage form of cancer. The prognosis was not good. Mark and his sister, Cheri, who lives near Salem, wanted to cheer up their dad around Fathers’ Day. The family had owned two magnificent male Samoyeds (King 1 and then, King II). Don loved Sammies so much that each year his kids framed photos of Samoyeds from calendars and lined his bedroom wall with them.
Mark’s inquiry went first to a UK website, then to the mid-west, then to NW Samoyed Rescue and then to me. Sy “Nanuk” Bear was a relatively new dog to us. He came to us at age 2, retiring early from the show. He was a very calm and centered boy in most situations but a bit reactive and unpredictable when walking in the neighborhood. He’d come from a farm where he sometimes got to run free, liked to chase anything that moved, and was participating in some serious dog sled racing! Learning to walk calmly on leash in a neighborhood was quite a challenge at first.
However, my heart went out to the Carter family so I decided to try a visit. Cheri came for an initial visit to meet Nanuk and a week later we went together to Albany for a surprise visit to her Dad. When we arrived Don was in his wheel chair in the driveway facing away from the street. Cheri called out “Dad, turn around and meet a friend of mine.” Don turned his chair in the driveway and immediately saw Nanuk. Don, visibly moved, said “Oh…my…goodness……..Come here, Boy…” He held out his arms and Nanuk ran right into them. Fortunately, Cheri’s son, Christian captured it all on video. Inside the house, Nora, Don’s wife had prepared a water bowl and pet blanket for the couch. Nanuk greeted everyone and then jumped onto the couch with Don where he remained with his head in Don’s lap for most of the afternoon visit. On another visit, Don wanted to get down on the floor with Nunuk. As soon as he was lying comfortably on a pillow, Nanuk went and lay beside him, draping his paw over Don’s arm. They formed quite a bond.
We had the pleasure of visiting Don and Nora several more times. With each visit our friendship grew and I was looking forward to seeing them again soon. We talked about our lives and a lot about our dogs, our beloved Sammies. We had the pleasure of meeting son, Mark and spending time with Cheri who is a real dog whisperer.
Our last visit was Feb 15, two days after Don’s 87th birthday. A few days ago, Cheri wrote to tell me Don had passed away on March 1.
Nanuk and I lost a dear friend this week. However, the time we spent together was precious and important. We shared something deep: a profound love and appreciation for Samoyeds. We didn’t need words to explain our instant connection. The Carter family has inspired me to seek official therapy dog training and certification for Nanuk. Through our visits I witnessed the remarkable temperament of my dog, his loving and empathetic nature. Upon meeting Don, he knew exactly what to do and did it with joy.
Anita King, Salem, Oregon
Proud owner of Freya and Nanuk
We are privileged to have worked with many wonderful adopters like Anita and Howard.