Firehall 4's Patient Dedication

For The Adoptables, See Bottom of page:

Every so often our staff will choose a patient to recognize who has touched our hearts. Whether it be in rememberance or a patient who made it easy for us to love what we do, our staff would like to dedicate this page to those patients who made a special impact on us.

Samson Lewis

8yr. German Shepherd Mix

Samson is a very special patient to our staff. He has a wonderful mother who cares dearly for him. Unfortunatley, one afternoon she noticed that samson did not seem himself. He came to our office very lethargic and depressed. His abdomen seemed to be hard and enlargened. By physical examination and abdominal tap we discovered that he had internal bleeding somewhere in his abdomen. He was referred on to UGA for immediate care where they performed a splenectomy.

Samson had a marvelous recovery and is doing wonderful to this day. He is very lucky to have a family that cares for him the way they do. What a special boy!!

Unfortunately, since this was posted Samson has left us. Firehall 4 will miss our good friend Samson. Here is a letter his mother has written us that we wanted to share in his memory.

Sadly, our good boy Sammy died last night at the end of an evening walk. His body was compromised over the past couple of months, but it only showed in that he had a hard time recovering from excursion, so we had been taking it easy. But as you know, Samson is not one to lay around, he always wants to play! So we are grateful that he ended his Farewell Tour doing something he loved.
We are happy to have had the past two months to appreciate him and all his special traits -- sweet and annoying, both! We got to have many "One Last"s: one last swim in the river, one last ripping open [Gina's bday] presents, one last climbing up in my lap as if he was a Chihuahua, one last walk around the neighborhood. And, he and Georgia have eaten like Royalty -- canned dog food with gravy, Turkey at Thanksgiving, and any snack the humans were partaking in. (Lord, if it was indigestion that took him, please don't tell me!)

But it is awfully quiet around here. Samson was a large part of the soundtrack of our lives... Not just his barking (the Intruder at the Door! bark, My People Are Home! bark, Dog Daring to Walk Down My Street! bark, Cat/Squirrel Right Outside Open the Door! bark, Come On Let's Go Already! bark...) or the Singing Along with the approaching Fire Engine (the sweet soulful harmony to Georgia's unskillful moaning), but the way he trotted and pranced the length of the house and rattled the china cabinet in his signature way, and the way he shook his collar in the morning -- slow at first, and then ramping up to a vigorous thrashing. Or the incessant slurping of the private parts... on second thought, that we may not miss. It is permanently embedded in my brain.

For all the grief we gave him, poor Georgia has a big hole to fill. We need her to learn to rest her head in our laps, and to give us her ears to rub rather than only the opposite end. We promise to continue to spoil her, and to take her more places, as it was sometimes hard with 2 dogs, and one that was a tad LOUD.

I hope these pictures of Samson make you laugh. He was a dog by which all others will be measured. None will ever be faster, goofier or more of a love sponge.

Love,
Jennifer

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_______________________Adoptables___________________________

"SWEETIE"

2 years--Spayed--Lab/pit Mix

I was found by a wonderful family with a shattered hip after being hit by a car. They paid for me to have the necessary surgery I needed to be a normal dog again. Recently a really close canine friend of mine passed away and that made it hard to adjust to the other pack members in the household. So now I'm in search of someone to love me and allow me be their loving companion. I play well with other dogs once I get to know them. Please give me a chance. I am very shy at first until I get to know you then its all fun and love from there. I will be the snuggly couch potato you always dreamed of. If you are interested in meeting me please contact the office here at Firehall 4 and schedule a time to come in and meet me.

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In case of an after hours emergency, please contact the
Animal Emergency Hospital at 706-769-0229.

Firehall 4 Animal Hospital is located at:

815 Hawthorne Ave.
Athens, GA 30606
(706) 583-9191