During the Virginia ice storm of 2003, my neighbor called, asking if I knew who owned a large yellow Labrador wandering the neighborhood. I didn’t, but I immediately started making calls. Local shelters had no reports of a missing lab, and since they were full, they asked if I could hold onto him temporarily.
Over the next few weeks, multiple people mentioned seeing him rummaging through garbage for food. Then, one freezing afternoon, my daughter came in from sledding, rushed to the cupboard where we kept dog food, and said, “Mom, this dog has been following me! He’s freezing—you have to see him!”
I opened the door to find the most handsome, but trembling, dog I had ever seen. He was incredibly shy but hesitantly stepped inside when my daughter invited him. For three days, he lay by the front door, soaking in the warmth. He was terrified of carpet, the TV, and even the sound of a ringing phone—signs that he had likely never lived indoors.
I called the local shelters daily for two weeks, but no one claimed him. By then, we already knew: he was ours. We named him Sam and took him to the vet, who estimated he was between one and two years old. Since he was a stray, they even gave us a discount when neutering him.
Fast forward to today—Sam is 12 years old, enjoying retirement in the warmth of Arizona. This picture of him is my favorite—he’s ignoring The Dog Whisperer on TV, seemingly amused by the fact that some dogs need training for manners!
After his original sister passed, Sam was heartbroken. We couldn’t bear to see him mourn, so we adopted Lulu from a shelter, and she became his new best friend. Her story is one for another day, but for now, Sam remains our gentle, loving boy.
Credits goes to the respective owner ♥️…!
