This handsome boy is Sam, a 12 year old Labrador x Spaniel who came to stay in an Oldies Club foster home after his owners’ marriage ended. He didn’t have to wait long for his new forever home, and has already settled in well, as you can read in this lovely letter from his new owner:
I thought you might like to hear how my precious boy Sam has been settling in his new home.
He has completed his first full week at work and he has been nothing short of a superstar. Vets and clients alike think he is amazing (which he is). He sleeps under my desk, follows me everywhere, LOVES the kitchen! helps me in the pharmacy making up medicine orders, goes outside in the garden when he wants, does a BIG woof sometimes, which makes us all laugh because we all say Sam’s bark is 3 times too big for him! He’s never on his own there.
As we are farm animal vets I’m registered with a local small animal practice and I took him for a full health check yesterday. In general Sam is in good health. His ears are still quite bad but he is having an ear washout every 2 days and the vet will check them again next week. He may have to have a full clean under anaesthetic and if he does they will give him a scale & polish too as he has alot of plaque building up on his teeth although they are strong and healthy. He is arthritic but we have put him on a non medicinal supplement to help his general stiffness and I have weaned him on to Hills JD prescription food which really is the best for dogs with mobility issues. It can only be obtained on a vet prescription but working at a vet practice has its advantages, I get everything at cost price but even if I didn’t Sam is worth every penny spent!
I did put him to the test yesterday and leave him on his own for an hour as I had to go and buy a compost bin, dustbin and wheelbarrow & I knew I wouldn’t be able to get them in the car with Sam on board too. But I left the radio on, settled him down and was as quick as I could be. When I got home all was quiet but as soon as I walked in he wagged his tail so much I thought his bottom was going to fall off!
He is really being SO good with the cats now. Mr D’arcy & Gershwin are matter of fact with him because they are so used to dogs but he will try & chase them if they catch him by surprise and he is always very interested when its pusscats feeding times. They eat in the utility room and I put a clothes airer in the kitchen door so he can still see but can’t touch and that works well. Once the cats have had what they want the “barricade” comes down. Seems to work well. We were out in the garden today and Mr D’arcy and Sam kissed noses, no camera when you want one but you will see from one of the pics Gershwin & Sam share the sofa sometimes.
Regarding furniture Sam sleeps on the floor alot of the time but he does get up on the sofa occasionally, I never encourage him or help him but sometimes he likes to be there but always rearranges the cushions before he settles down & then it’s a rhythmic snore for a very long time! He now has a proper bed in my bedroom and sleeps soundly all night long.
Went for a beautiful walk with my sister, her partner & Shane yesterday. The countryside here is truly amazing and we had been told of a rather ornate hen house that had been built on the estate some 100 years ago and an arboretum of Canadian Redwoods so off we went exploring. On our way Sam found a very inviting pond, well to him anyway, and went straight in rapidly followed by Shane. A few minutes later two very wet, muddy dogs emerged dripping in stagnant pong.
A shower in the garden when we got home was in order. Shane hated it but Sam LOVED it he was almost laughing but I didn’t want him to get a chill so bedtime last night was accompanied by a blanket.
He walks beautifully off lead, infact I never put him on one (I always have one in my hand just in case). He loves meeting other dogs, met up with a couple and their two Pugs the other night and had a lovely 15 minutes. He runs on ahead but will wait if you ask him to. The lanes here are so quiet but I’ll bring him to my side and hold his collar if a vehicle comes past. People come past him on pushbikes and he doesn’t pay any attention, bliss. When I had my Dobermann & a bike came past I used to take a deep breath and pray because I had to muster all my strength to hang on to him, he hated them!
Sam obviously is not bothered by livestock. Our next door neighbours’ cows and sheep are at the fence alot of the time and Sam doesn’t pay much attention at all.
I could go on writing about him all night! Sam is everything I could have hoped for, I love him, and the way he is with me, he loves me right back.
Thank you so much for this lovely letter! Everyone at Oldies Club is thrilled that Sam has found such a fab new home :-)