Sampson

Dear Homeward Bound,

We adopted Sampson in October 2000, several months after he was rescued from the animal shelter. When he was rescued he weighed less than 70 lbs. as a full-grown adult. After some Homeward Bound TLC, Sam was about 82 lbs. when he was adopted. Here's a picture of him in November of 2000:

As you can see, he was very handsome and VERY tall, but pretty thin and with a relatively short coat. It's sad to think that at one time he was 65 lbs. in the shelter. He also had his share of "issues" (refusing his crate, refusing to go outside, "reflex-nipping" if you touched his hind quarters, etc.), but loved to run and play. He gradually got used to his new environment and his new routine. We gave up on the crate and gave him a limited area of the house, and he was the PERFECT gentleman. Never an accident, never chewing anything he wasn't supposed to (except socks), and he let us know when he wanted to go outside. He even got used to Francesca (our cockatiel) after some initial curiosity. Sam became much better adjusted when we finally established who was in charge...him.

As time went on, Sam and his coat began to fill out. Some times he looks like he's posing for a dog food commercial, and some times (most of the time) he's pretty goofy. Here's a photo with Sam tipping the scales at 104 lbs. 

As you can see his transformation has been amazing. Except for his face, you wouldn't think it was the same goofy pup. We kind of went overboard on fattening him up got up to 115 lbs.!), but with his diet/workout regimen he's weighing in between 100 and 105 lbs. 

He loves to play tennis, swim, and pretty much hang around us at all times.

He still likes to grab loose socks, and likes to sit at the top of the stairs to look out the windows. He's still pretty much a goofball, but we couldn't imagine life without him.

Thanks again for your efforts and dedication to a great cause. We look forward to seeing you and the other pups at upcoming events.

Bo, Alice, and Sampson Correa