December: Meet Sammy — Special Needs

Sammy came into rescue scared, emaciated, with numerous ticks, and a baseball sized tumor in her abdomen. She had a rare type of cancer with a 30 to 50% chance of returning, so the tumor was quickly removed. However, post-op Sammy developed severe nose bleeds, requiring two blood transfusions and hospitalization. A specialist determined she had Tick Fever, which necessitated a month-long regimen of medication, good food – and constant love. She gets scans every six months to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned, and so far they’ve been clear. Sadly, there is no treatment if it does resurface.

Yes, we were foster failures! After what we’d been through to save this sweet girl’s life we knew she was home. In the first week of her Tick Fever treatment, our alarm was set for every two hours to be certain the nose bleeds were still at bay.

Today, Sammy is slowly learning to trust again. Her crate used to be her safe spot; now it’s the couch or snuggling in bed with Mom. Eating and getting treats is also a favorite with her ears perking every time someone enters the kitchen. Sammy loves her sister Lilly, another RAG rescue, who is teaching her the joys of being a dog.

We adore Sammy and are so thankful to RAGofAZ for saving her life. Our family takes each day as a gift and an opportunity to shower Sammy with love for as long as we can.