Sammy

 Gabby Grace is a junior in high school, she lives in a two-story house with a big backyard, perfect for a dog to run in. At the time, Grace was five years old when she got Sammy, a small white Maltese at Petland.

“I am like the mom to Sammy, he’s my best friend,” Grace said.

As Sammy has settled into the family, he has been included on many road trips. They have been to Disney and Michigan together to visit with family. As time goes on, the whole family considers Sammy as a family member. They all pay attention to him by giving him lots of treats and taking him on walks.

“The most attached is me because he has been there for me through tough times, even though he can’t speak,” Grace said.

A tragic memory the family has experienced was the time Sammy had got attacked by another dog. Throughout this time, Gabby was upset and scared for her dog. She wasn’t sure how it had happened or what triggered the dog to attack Sammy.

“At the time I was freaked out, I didn’t know what was going to happen to him,” Grace said.

The first couple of weeks, Sammy had to wear a cone on his head. They took him to multiple vet visits for checkups and the whole family helped out by taking care of him and making sure Sammy wasn’t in pain. Overall Sammy ended up being okay. 

According to the family, some things that make Sammy so special to them is that he is a kind, protective dog. He is always there and will always stay by their side. One way Sammy is protective is alerting the house, by barking, when someone knocks or rings the doorbell. 

“The best part about having a dog is him always being there for you even though he can’t talk,” Grace said.