We are happy to share the heart-warming story of Sammi the dog’s rescue. From living in a makeshift doghouse in the freezing cold to tail wags and warm cuddles, Sam’s story truly has a fairytale ending.
While on a search and rescue mission in Grabouw, a small farm town, we found Sam starving, covered in mange and laying in his own feces. He had no reason to trust humans and was clearly petrified. But once he realized we were there to help, he became the sweetest boy you could imagine. We rushed him to a nearby veterinary clinic, where he received the best possible care and made rapid progress.
The problem was that winters in Grabouw are cold and harsh, and if Sam went back to his old life, he would just be another of the thousands of street dogs who fight for survival in this hard and unforgiving environment.
The COVID-19 economic catastrophe has seen the situation for animals in this impoverished area spiral out of control. The result is uncontrolled breeding that has led to massive overpopulation.
Our Chief Campaigner, Luke Barritt, and his partner, Taryn Slabbert, refused to let Sam go back to life on the streets, particularly because poor Sam showed signs of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"You could tell Sam came from an extremely traumatic situation; he was scared and insecure,” says Taryn. “We already had two dogs, but could not abandon Sam, so we now have three dogs - all of which are rescues!”
“Sam took a long time to come out of his shell and, even now, still shows signs of PTSD. He sometimes growls at my feet, and I have no idea why.”
“With patience, love, and kindness, we are happy that our Sammi has become an adorable happy little guy who loves his treats, walks and, most of all, snuggles with his mommy.” Luke and Taryn have affectionally nicknamed Sam “Phatti”: The coolest dog on the street!”
We believe that no animal should endure this kind of suffering and trauma. Victories like Sam make our work all the more special, and thanks to your donations, we have been able to help thousands of animals across the world. Please continue to donate. It really does make a big difference to an animal’s life.
