Sammy's Very Long Day

I've plain old run out of adjectives. Stellar - used. Superstar - used. Sweet - used, used, used. OK, let's try this one: Sam I Am is spectacular.



Tracy Ross and Sam I Am at WKMS

On Monday, I was scheduled to do on-air fundraising for our local National Public Radio station, WKMS. Sam I Am was also scheduled to do his Therapy Dog visits at the hospital. You may have caught on by now, dear readers, that I have a propensity to over schedule myself just a bit. I thought we could start our visits at two, and be at the radio station by four. Sounds perfectly reasonable, I say.



Only everyone on the floor, including most of the staff, was eager for a dog visit and we didn't finish until 3:03 and it takes an hour to drive to the station. And park. Oh brother. And Sam I Am had been fantastic. He had done a couple of bed visits, one of which was rather intense, and he works so hard with every patient, but most of all during the bed visits. If the patient requests, and can't reach Sam any other way, I'll lift him up and lie him next to the patient on the bed. He is an angel. He lies absolutely still, in sphinx position, but still totally engages with his patient. One of his bed visits that day was a large man covered with scary tattoos, whose arms didn't work so well. But he was so happy to see the dog. His attempts at patting Sam's gentle head were clumsy and slightly off target, but Sam beamed enthusiastically and nudged his hand when he stopped.



"I love dogs," the big tattooed man said. That was all he said, but he kept on patting Sam, getting a little better at his aim. Sam I Am didn't move a muscle, except to use his pointy schnoz to nudge his encouragement.



After telling Sam how proud I was of him all the way out to the van, and giving him five of his very favorite biscuits, off we zoomed heading south and west. There was no way I could take Sammy home, drop him off, and get to the radio station anywhere near on time. As I drove, peeking at him already sound asleep in his crate, I sure didn't want to reward his efforts by leaving him alone in the van for two and a half hours. If I had brought some of his buddies along, he wouldn't have minded at all, but alone... That just didn't seem right.



"Hi, oh, no I'm not calling in a pledge. This is Patience Renzulli and I'm on my way to help with fund raising. Is Kate or Ronda there? No? Oh hi, Stephanie, I'm on my way, um, could I bring my dog in? He's a Therapy Dog and he was just at the hospital and he had a shower this morning and he's very good, and I ran out of time and I don't want to leave him in the van for two hours. Yes? Oh thank you so much! He won't be any trouble, I promise. Thank you!"



I stopped and got a bucket of chicken and three sides for the hard working staff and students at WKMS, and schlepped Sam, the food, a bag of biscuits, and a sheepskin up to the eighth floor of the Price Doyle Fine Arts Building. Everyone was very kind. Most people were delighted to meet him. I set the people food on the break area counter and plopped the sheepskin down next to "my" chair. I asked Sam to "down" and gave him three more biscuits, and put my headphones on just as All Things Considered host Tracy Ross said, "I'm joined in the studio by Ronda Gibson and Patience Renzulli and we have just over $9000 left in our Spring fundraising goal of $100,000."



We begged and pleaded with the listeners to contribute, and during the times when the National feed was on air folks came and visited with Sam. Or I'd take him around and sneak him a french fry or a bite of Extra Crispy skin. He and I shared a cup of water. And then it was time to go back into the studio, back on the sheepskin, back on the air.



We were keeping Sam's presence a secret, and then Tracy played a commentary of mine, Dream on, Old Dog and we got some generous callers, and then Ronda blew our cover. She admitted that she'd been enjoying the company of a sweet Therapy Dog named Sam I Am right there in the studio. Well then the phones started to ring.



We did pretty well. I don't know that I'll ever be asked back to fund raise. But I have an idea that Sam I Am surely will be.



He is such a good dog. Such a gift.






hug your hounds