"Scabbed, scarred and discarded, you could barely tell it was a puppy"

This is the tragic result of someone surrendering a dog to the shelter irresponsibly, and it happened to Sam.

"I walked by the kennel three times before the shelter employee had to physically stop me and point him out. When my eyes focused and my brain was able to make sense of what I was seeing, my breath caught in my throat. A three month old puppy, almost completely scabbed, scarred and furless. His skin was swollen and red and you could see his ribs and hip bones clearly. Whether out of distrust or pain, he didn't move as we opened the kennel door; you could see the defeat in his eyes.

Almost without thinking, I turned to the shelter employee and blurted out 'PHR will take him.'

Picture of a dark brown black fur puppy inside a dirty animal shelter cage in Houston Texas with skin problem and disease covering his body when he was rescued by volunteers — Sam’s situation when we found him in the kennel (Path of Hope Facebook)

These four little words were a commitment I do not take lightly. We named him Sam after the shelter worker that cared for him.

Sam was now our responsibility. I whispered to him a promise that today was his new 'Day 1".

My commitment meant I now needed to find a foster in Houston and a foster in Spokane to fulfill my promise to Sam. We do not have a kennel or even a building that we work out of in either city, and without fosters, we have no ability to save dogs like Sam.

Picture of a dark black fur grown up dog looking for at his delicious pet treat in midair with a hungry and happy face and dirt grass ground in the back — Sam today, after being cared for by his amazing family (Path of Hope Facebook)

Sam was somebody’s Christmas present. After the newness of a puppy wore off, he was discarded and put into a crate in the yard. He wasn’t able to be a puppy. He wasn’t able to grow and learn and play. His feet were flat because he wasn’t able to walk around and get exercise. His bones weren’t able to grow properly. He was fighting for his life when rescuers came along and gave him a helping hand.

After arriving in Spokane, Sam was taken in by a loving foster. There he began to learn what it was to be a puppy. He got to play with other dogs, play with kids, and romp around in a yard. Despite his terrible start to life, Sam was the sweetest boy. His hair started to grow back. His scabs slowly faded. Sam was now the puppy he was always supposed to be. He was loved beyond belief.

Sam, of course, caught the attention of a PHR volunteer and once he was ready, he was adopted! Renamed Duke, he got a new family. He has a mom, a dad, a human sister, and a rescue dog friend named Toby. Duke is living his life to the fullest now where his biggest worry is “who’s giving me my next treat?” Duke is constantly the subject of his mama’s photographs. He gets snuggles on the couch with his Dad and gets to chase his sister around the yard.

Picture of a light brown fur rescue dog with hazel eyes and a blue and black pattern pet scarf around his neck looking up at the dog rescue volunteer — Every dog deserves a second chance, together we can save more dogs from Texas

This is just one of the many stories of dogs in Texas. There are so many scared, scabbed and discarded. Fostering is the first step to helping these dogs. Without fosters, so many dogs will just become victims to their environment. Sam will always be grateful that he made it out because someone like you said, "yes".

Caitlin Knight. Founder of Path of Hope Rescue

If you’re living in Spokane, Washington and looking to adopt a puppy, we have lots of foster dogs & puppies over Here!

You can also join our Foster Program, where you can foster puppies, and help save lives.

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