Welcome: Tucker and Buzz!
Meet Tucker!
Tucker is a sweet and gentle Beagle, 12 years young, who has quickly become an integral part of our pack. His journey to us was not an easy one. After his beloved owner passed away last year, Tucker was lovingly cared for by the owner’s wife until she, too, was moved to assisted living and couldn’t take Tucker with her. With the Humane Society at capacity, Tucker’s family reached out to Sebring Angels, one of our partner rescues, for help. Thankfully, Sebring Angels thought of us, and we were happy to give Tucker a soft place to land.
Tucker may be a little rotund, but we’re working on getting him back in shape with some slow morning and evening walks. He’s a joy to have around, and he’s already made fast friends with our other residents, including Sammie, Callie, and Lilly. Tucker is a true gentleman, and his easygoing nature has made his transition to Sammie’s House a breeze.
Celebrating Our Journey
Monday, March 18, marked a special day for Sammie’s House—our FOUNDERS DAY! It’s hard to believe it’s been over two years since we first filed the paperwork, made the plans, and started the work to get where we are today. It's an honor to reach this anniversary and the incredible milestone of connecting with more than 10,000 social media followers. If you haven't followed us yet, just search Sammie's House Animal Sanctuary on Facebook or Instagram to join in the fun!
But that’s not all! We’re thrilled to share that Sammie’s House has been accepted as a Network Partner for Best Friends Animal Society! This is a dream come true for us, as Best Friends is the largest sanctuary in the U.S. and a leading force in the effort to make every shelter no-kill by 2025. Becoming a network partner opens up so many resources, opportunities, and even funding potential for Sammie’s House. We’re so grateful, excited, and inspired for what the future holds!
Welcome Buzz!
Today, we also have the pleasure of introducing you to our newest resident dog, Buzz!
Buzz is at least 12 years old and unfortunately has lived a life of neglect and faces quite a few health challenges now. The first thing you’ll notice is his skin. He’s lost most of his fur and is suffering from severe doggy dermatitis which has made his skin leathery, flakey, and full of itchy pustules. When he first came to us, I could see each of his ribs, along with his hip bones and deep divots where fat or muscle should be along his shoulder blades. You could almost encircle his whole waist in your hand. Thankfully, he has had an enormous appetite from the start and uses the bathroom very regularly. And like many stray FL dogs, he is also heart-worm positive. If that wasn’t enough, he has deep, ragged scars on his neck where an embedded collar was (unprofessionally) cut out of him and (unprofessionally) stitched back up.
Quickly after his first vet visit, he was already feeling much better. They did bloodwork, a skin scraping, a fecal test, gave him all his shots…the works. We have medicated ear drops for him, flea and tick meds, we put him on an oral antibiotic, got him some dewormer (this made the biggest difference for him) and a steroid. His skin is expected to heal and already he’s putting on a little weight and his poops look solid and healthy (finally).
It’s hard to imagine the life Buzz has lived, especially when you meet him - he is friendly, gentle, and extremely affectionate. He follows the other dogs around companionably, barks excitedly with them at the cows next door, likes to run in a healthy lope along the fence and perimeter of the pond, looking more like a small horse than a dog - but his absolute favorite thing, by far, is snuggling next to you on the sofa and placing his boney head in your lap.
Rescue is hard. You never know the full story. People don’t always tell the full truth. You have to be prepared for the big expenses. But Buzz will get the best care available now that he’s at SH and that’s always been my promise to all these dogs - and why we only take 1 dog at a time and give them at least 4 weeks to settle in. They come first.