SAVING SAMSON

Please be warned that Samson’s story is devastating and the pictures can be graphic. That being said, we are desperate for your support in saving this sweet, little boy.

Samson is an adorable, but very sad 6-8 month old black lab/pit bull mix puppy. He looks the size of a 4-month old puppy, and we believe his growth was stunted, and he may not get much bigger. He was found in the basement of an abandoned home, unable to stand or walk, extremely emaciated and dehydrated.


The shelter believes that Samson was severely abused: dragged and tortured. He has multiple, seriously infected open wounds on his hind legs, knees, ankles and feet. One of the wounds on his knee is especially severe, and the tissues are dead and necrotic. His paws are splayed due to malnutrition and he was unable to get up and walking. X-rays have not revealed any breaks yet and it may just be the extent and pain from his open wounds. X-rays of his stomach show that this baby was eating rocks and dirt, probably in an attempt to survive.


The shelter began treatment for Samson’s wounds and sent out an emergency plea, knowing he would heal much faster outside of the shelter environment. One look into Samson’s eyes and our rescue responded immediately.


Samson arrived at our veterinary hospital on April 19 in the evening, and we will post updates on his prognosis as they are available.

UPDATE April 21: The shelter bandaged Samson up and he was brought to the safety of our veterinary hospital. He curled up into a little ball on the front passenger seat in the car and did not budge the whole ride! Our veterinarian determined Sam is only about 6 months old and he weighs a whopping 25 pounds. He confirmed that Samson was dragged, as his paw pads are completely shorn off. Fortanately, they will grow back with time. Most of his open wounds will heal with time and TLC, however, the one large wound on his knee will require skin grafts. Samson will be going in for surgery on Thursday, April 22 to have skin grafts performed on his knee. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts, he still has a long road to recovery!

Now, we are asking for your help in saving Samson’s life. As an all volunteer, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Pet Rescue of Mercer relies heavily on your donations to continue saving lives. We desperately need your support for Samson. Contributions can be made online through our website www.petrescueofmercer.org or mailed directly to us at Pet Rescue of Mercer, P.O. Box 2574, Hamilton, NJ 08690.


Please keep Samson in your thoughts, he needs all the support he can get.

Help Rudy!

Rudy is one fantastic pit bull mix waiting patiently for his big break in life. Read on to learn more about this incredible dog who has overcome so many obstacles, all he needs now is his forever home.

His story...

Rudy suffered from major trauma before he walked through the doors of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sadly, we'll never know what exactly happened to Rudy, but it was devastating. He arrived a physical mess. Underweight and had major neurological troubles with walking. The shelter also feared Rudy has problems with seeing and hearing.

Yet, Rudy was one of the lucky ones. His past was rough but he made it out with his life. Even more importantly, his love for humans is intact. He has no fear, no aggression towards humans, and greets everyone with his tail-wagging, wiggly butt.

The shelter worked to nurse Rudy back to health, but they are limited in the amount of care they can give. He greatly improved medically and was able to put up for adoption.

Rudy sat in a cage for months, watching everyone walk right by him. No one would adopt a dog with such an intense medical history, let alone a pit bull with medical issues!

This fantastic dog, again, had to beat unbelievable odds. He had to make it out of a shelter that regularly already has a 40% euthanasia rate. The spread of disease in another shelter in Philadelphia had caused the shelter to temporarily shut down, and the 150 dogs had to be transferred to the PSPCA. As a result of space constraints, Rudy was now on the urgent list.

His present...

One of PRM's volunteers had met him previously during a shelter visit, and when she saw Rudy on the urgent list, she could not stop thinking about his happy, wiggle butt self. We knew what fate would happen to him if we did not come to his rescue.

So, we made arrangements and drove to Philadelphia to pick up this special boy. He lacked confidence outside of the shelter, and had to be picked up into the car. He slept the whole ride home back to NJ without making a peep, just curled up, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Rudy's first step was our veterinary office, to find out everything about what's going on. Once again, Rudy had more luck. He can both hear and see fine. Our vet x-rayed his pelvis and it also his perfectly fine. Yes, he wobbles when he walks, his gait isn't the steadiest, but he is not in any pain, and Rudy seems perfectly happy and content with his condition.

Yes, Rudy walks funny. It's cute in its own way. But other than that, he does not have any long-term medical issues. He is up to date on shots, neutered and only about 1-2 years old and 45-50 pounds.

Rudy is fine with other dogs and would probably be okay with cats too. He is not very energetic, hyper or over-the-top bouncy. A walk or two a day and he will be more than happy to hang out with you around the house or snuggle up on the sofa.

His future...

Rudy faces just one last obstacle. He needs an end to his story. A home to come home to. And we know with his luck, he'll find the most wonderful family. Maybe with you?