In the Fall of 2006 at a mall, my local animal shelter was trying to adopt seven puppies whose mother was rescued from a drug bust. Not wanting a dog because of my work schedule, I stood off to the side as my wife played with the puppies. One puppy was sitting on the side staring at me. He walked up to me and his eyes were like a magnet. He proceeded to lay on my foot- and the rest is history. I adopted him. It was the single best thing I ever did. We named him, Sam.

Sam was a once-in-a-lifetime dog, with a unique blend of qualities. He was a playmate, both physically and mentally. He was our therapy dog. He had incredible, almost human intelligence. He befriended every person and animal he met, especially cats. I went from not wanting a dog to worshipping the ground my dog walked on.

On December 12, 2017, my beautiful boy died. His death was sudden and it was the worst day of my life. For the next year and a half, I suffered from grief and unimaginable agony. I had this gift from God for eleven years and I wondered if it would take another eleven years for this pain to heal. I knew Sam loved me and would not want me to suffer so I decided to do something with that love. Therefore. I’m creating the SAM for Pets nonprofit.

Once this nonprofit is officially created, we hope to financially assist pet parents who are in danger of losing their “Sam” due to illness or necessary medical treatments that they are not able to afford. Every animal helped or saved would have been a friend to Sam. This nonprofit will honor Sam’s life for the rest of ours and hopefully beyond. Ken