Sam Finds a Home of His Own 

 

It was a long journey, filled with love every step of the way. 

Animal Friends is fully committed to every animal who comes through our doors. This means we often must “think outside the cage” to ensure each animal is given the best possible care, either behaviorally or medically.  

One of the best examples of Animal Friends’ fulfilling our vision and mission is Sam, our 2023 Impact Report “cover dog.”  

Sam first came to Animal Friends in July of 2020 from a partner shelter. He was experiencing some skin allergies and they did not have the resources to treat him. In the years from Sam’s arrival through his adoption, our Medical team went above and beyond to help Sam live as comfortably as possible with his allergies.  

Like people, dogs can have allergy panels performed to find out their allergens. For Sam, the specialized test indicated that he was highly allergic to several forms of grass and trees. This means that the summer months were difficult for Sam. Our Medical team worked with local experts to find the ideal remedies for Sam which included oral and topical medications, a special diet and regular allergy shots.  

Animal Friends recognized that Sam’s medical issues could be a barrier to his adoption. But we knew that Sam was a lovely boy and would make someone, somewhere, incredibly happy. With Sam’s best interests in mind, Animal Friends promised to pay for all of his medical bills and treatments related to his allergies for the rest of his life!  

Sam is so much more than his medical history. Sam is an extremely smart dog and was part of a detailed training program at Animal Friends. This allowed Sam to not only learn his basic manners, but also some agility and cooperative care, which are behaviors to help administer his medications and treatments.  

Sam went on a long journey with us – 1,177 days to be exact. Then, on October 14, 2023, Sam found a home of his own – in Chicago! Sam’s new mom, Katie first saw him on one of Animal Friends’ Instagram posts. “When I looked closer, the post mentioned that Sam was a month away from his 1000th day at the shelter and my heart sank. Every dog should have a human and a couch to nap on. I looked at his bio on the Animal Friends website and everything about him just spoke to me,” she said. 

Katie continued, “I watched all his videos and looked through all the photos of him. I could tell he was smart and friendly and so desperate to show that he was deserving of love. He’d been through so much and while I knew he was taken care of and had a warm place to sleep, something in his eyes just drew me in. I knew what he was feeling and could relate to it. I loved him and I would have flown across the world to show him.”

Katie flew to Animal Friends from Chicago to meet Sam. And there was no doubt the two were meant to be a family. After that initial meeting, Katie returned by car, this time to take Sam home. She wondered,  “Was I going to be able to meet all of Sam’s needs and give him the life he was worthy of living? Would he like the city? Would it help or hurt his allergies? Could I give him all of the attention and exercise he needed? Would he love me as much as his family at Animal Friends? I think it’s easy to let the anxiety overwhelm the excitement, but the moment I saw him plop down onto my bed I knew we were going to be so happy together!” 

 

 

How is life now?

“Sam has acclimated so well. He hasn’t had a single accident and has caught on quickly as to what he can and can’t chew on. He loves sleeping in on the weekends as much as I do and has been such a good influence getting me off my butt to go for a nice walk between football games. He naps on the couch like an absolute pro,” says Katie.

 Sam’s story is just one example of how deeply we at Animal Friends believe that every animal deserves the chance to live a safe, healthy and contented life as a much-loved companion animal. Most dogs, cats and rabbits who come into our shelter find their family and leave not long after for a home of their own. Some, like Sam, are here for an extended stay. However long they are here with us, our residents are cared for by a dedicated team who think outside the cage waiting for the day someone like Katie will come along. 

To help more animals like Sam, please consider donating.