Sammie the Dog hasn’t had an easy life thus far. The 3-month-old boxer was spray-painted blue, shot in the head, and dragged behind a car. His owner left him for three days in agony, but Sammie fought to keep going. In an unfortunate decision, the owner dumped this beautiful dog at the shelter in hopes that they would euthanize him. However, Sammie had other plans.
The boxer puppy had surgery to remove the bullet in his head and is on the road to recovery at Paws and Claws Animal Clinic in Columbia, South Carolina. When he arrived at the clinic, a spokeswoman said he was in good spirits and was wagging his tail, but could barely lift his head up. Now, the stitches in his head are healing, and he’s resting his two hurt legs.
But it wasn’t just Sammie’s remarkable story that caught national attention; it was his friendship with fellow rescue pup Simon that made them both viral stars.
Simon, a border collie recovering from abuse, decided to take it upon himself to comfort the scared newbie (Sammie). He offered a comforting paw to Sammie on the X-ray table before another round of tests, letting him know that he was in good hands at Paws and Claws.
Vet tech Nikki Jones said the following about the adorable meeting:
“Simon heard him crying in there and his ears perked up. And he came in and just very gently jumped up on the X-ray table with his one paw and was kind of like, ‘Hey, bud. What’s wrong? Don’t worry. These guys got ya.'”
As the two recover, they have become inseparable and best friends. Both have a while to go before they’re ready to be adopted, but according to shelter staff, their conditions have improved due to their friendship. The pair can be found playing together and even cuddling up to one another in the same crate.
Sammie will find a special new forever-home through Rescue Dogs Rock NYC. And while many are clamoring for the pair, Paws and Claws hopes to emphasize that there are many dogs in need just like Sammie and Simon, they just don’t have a great viral picture for PR. The encourage readers to donate to Paws and Claws or visit their local shelter.
Sources:
Uproxx