It's A Boy!

It's a boy. . .and his name is Samson. It's not a name that we gave him lightly. The Hebrew character Samson is a Herculean figure who uses tremendous strength to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary mortals. . .or dogs. Looking at the picture of Samson right after his first bath in the kitchen sink you wouldn't really think superhero.



Don't judge this little guy til you've heard his story.

On February 7, 2007 the Wood County Sheriff's office was called to a home in rural Wood County where they found more than 100 dogs, 17 cats and 2 birds in one small home and an adjacent barn. Most of the animals were covered in hardened feces that weighed more than their body mass. You can read the full account of this heartbreaking story here and here.

When the Wood County Humane Society staff and volunteers arrived on the scene, our little boy was picked out of the filth and examined by a veterinarian who thought he was dead. Margaret Weinberger, Vice President of Shelter Operations, refused to give up on him. After being dosed with Tamiflu, Samson spent the next few days in ICU being pumped full of antibiotics and fluids. He, like many of the other animals found that day, was suffering from extreme dehydration. After being released from ICU, Margaret became his foster parent, taking him home and feeding him round the clock – every hour. . .24 hours a day. . .for 10 straight days.

As he slowly regained strength and body weight he came down with a Staph infection from the filth he had been born into. After treating the infection he came down with mange on his head. Mange is a tiny mite that flourishes when an animal's immune system is compromised and is unable to keep them in check. The hair on his face and head fell out during treatment. But, who could resist this face?



Margaret talked with us at length about Samson's past and she told us how much she was in love with him. Who wouldn't be after sacrificing so much of herself to save his life? But, she felt he would be a really good fit for us and wanted him to have a good life – pampered and spoiled. We were more than happy to make that kind of promise!

To say that Margaret loves him doesn't do it justice. Margaret has a connection to Samson that is deep and strong and good. Every day when we're holding him we whisper softly in his velvet ear about his first momma – Margaret. We tell him how lucky he is that his Angel Momma found him and loved him back to life.

Samson is still regaining his strength. He's been with us since Saturday afternoon and every day he gets more energetic and funny. He's about 4 months old and still has that silly little puppy way of running – more like a rabbit than a dog. He loves to be held and cuddled. He's fond of hiding his face. I suppose it makes him feel safe.



Often, when losing himself in playing with his toys or simply exploring, he will suddenly stop and look around for one of us. It's as if he forgets, for just a little bit, about being hungry or alone and then has to make sure that it's OK to have a little fun.



Samson, it's going to be OK for a very long time. We promise.