Sam 1996-2009

Me and Sam at Queechy Lake 2006

I can't believe that not only have I been slow w/ updates on my blog, but my next entry is another sad one.

I write this with the heaviest of hearts.

Yesterday I had to face the inevitable and have my dog-best friend Sam put to sleep.

All dogs are special. Life without a dog , in my humblest opinion, is a life lacking.

In Sam's case, we rescued him.

Sam was found by a woman who saw him wandering in the back of a K-Mart parking lot. He looked like he hadn't eaten for weeks. His ribcage was showing right through his hide and his paws were indicative of weeks of travelling and getting into fights with other dogs and God knows whom else.

I knew from the moment I first met him that he was special. Again, all dogs are special, but sometimes you're lucky enough to find one that will change your life profoundly.

It took a long time for him to adjust with us. I suspect he was beaten and abused by his previous owner and in all honesty I think Sam ran away for fear of his life.

There were months of nervous pacing inside our home. Fortunately, our Beagle was still around...so he made a new friend with Nestle.

As with all good things Sam finally settled into the family. He had sooo much love to give. Him becoming trusting and comfortable meant the world to me as I felt I did a good thing.

He was my shadow, always by my side, waiting at my beck and call.

Another thing about Sam was how much of a stud he was ! That boy could run like the devil and when we'd play catch he'd leap all fours at least a foot of the ground.That amazing for a 102 lb yellow lab.

Sam also loved to swim. Queechy Lake was his favorite. He'd come w/ me during my open water swim days and I could tell this was something that he treasured.

So this is why I think Sam is beyond special.

Here's a dog that had to run away , finds a loving home, then within a few years starts losing his sight. Unlike us humans, Sam finds a way to brush it off. His sense of smell and space adjusts and he lives a normal life for the next 4 yrs.

If thats not enough....he develops a Lipoma on his back in 2008 that grows to the size of an apple. This is rather common with older dogs and fortunately it was in an area that didn't impede on his ability to move around.

We had it removed last Fall because it got infected and we thought he was all in the clear. By late January it was back, and it grew with avengeance.

A few weeks ago I knew something was wrong with Sam. He started to shake in his sleep and also while he was just lying down. I'd never seen him do this before. Also, he started to look away a lot. As all great dogs, he wasn't looking for sympathy, but more worried that he couldn't please me by being the strong dog he always was.

This past Memorial Day weekend we all went to Cape Cod . We rented a house right by the water.

This was one of the first times we took our Labs with us as this house was pet friendly. Very rare these days to find that.

Sam loved it. I think he knew his time was up and for him to have seen the water one more time with us gave him a sense of closure.

I've learned more about life from Sam than any person or friend I've ever had.

He's taught me that nothing can ever be that bad. Just love the people around you and you'll be fine.

He's taught me to never quit.

We put a memory box next to him where he is buried out by my garden.

Along with some photos and letters, I included my Ironman bib from IMLP in 2007. This was the one I DNF'd. I wrote on that bib that I will promise to do another one in his memory, because he never, ever would have quit.

Yesterday was one of the toughest days in my life. I think I lost 5 lbs from just crying. I'm welling up as I write this, but life goes on. We still have his little brother Mac. A 3 yr old black lab.

Seeing them together playing or just sitting next to each other is something I'll always treasure .

I'm a better person for having Sam in my life.

I miss you Boy.

Love,

Dad.