And of course, there are those who passed before them...
For Sampson

Sampson was just over a year old when I met him. He was owned by a young college student just beginning his journey to adulthood. He searched the paper and found some Rottweiler puppies for sale. Of course, he had to have one.

College took too much time for a dog and the well meaning young man brought the dog to his parents for care. The responsible parents, doing their best to provide for the dog, discovered they could not deal with his occasional aggression.

I too searched the papers, like the college student, but I was seeking a dog to rehabilitate. When I found the ad for Sampson "Seeking Good Home for Rott..." I called. The sweet and well spoken parents were very upfront about Sampson and his issues of aggressive growling and snapping behavior. They and their son signed a contract for my ownership of Sampson, knowing my intent was to train him and re-home him with a loving family. Sampson got in the car and we went home.

Sampson was THE sweetest dog! A real cuddler! He was removed from his littermates quite early at five weeks old and lacked much needed social skills. Luckily, Alex and Anna taught him a thing or two about those. But it wasn't long after that the pattern of Sampson's aggression apparent.

His pattern was, there was no pattern. His random acts of aggression were not associated with ANY pattern. In many dogs, this idiopathic aggression can be a sign of a brain imbalance. Even though he was a sweet, loving, cuddly dog, this diagnosis meant placement was not a likely option.

One of the worst realities in fostering and adopting dogs, is having to take into account the big picture. To place an unwanted dog with an idiopathic aggression problem was, for me, morally inappropriate. Not to mention if you've ever been involved with the re-homing of a dog, you can appreciate how challenging it is to find a home for a healthy, obedient dog, let alone one who bites!

I consulted many colleagues and veterinarians. I called his former owners. I said many prayers. For three months, I spent day and night trying to figure out if I was ready to give up my dog training career (which included training dogs at my home) and keep Sampson. And yet, I knew, in my heart, to let him have peace, to let him be pain free, I had to let him go.

It was a cool fall morning when the veterinarian came to my home. He gave Sampson a tranquilizer, followed by the pink juice. Freshly bathed, with a bright bow on his collar, he laid in my arms. I stroked his soft, black fur. His sweet, ever so gentle eyes closed, and Sampson fell asleep, and ascended, I believe, to Dog Heaven.

To decide to take responsibility for him. To choose to kill him for the sake of others, was a personal sacrifice for me and my husband. We did so with Samson in the forefront of our minds and hearts.

I believe Sampson gave his life to me so that I would have forever engraved in my mind and heart the importance of teaching people about dogs. Perhaps if I could have helped the parents, or the college boy, or the breeder, perhaps then, Sampson would not have suffered on this Earth. But, he did.

Sampson,
Thank you. Good Dog.
Tracy

Below is a card his thoughtful former owners sent me after I euthanized him. Their compassion for my pain was an unexpected blessing for which I will be forever grateful.