Introducing Sammie

We have a new member to our family, a beautiful female puppy that we have named Sammie. We met her and picked her up yesterday through a rescue agency that we signed up with last week. We met the foster dog parent at the Samuel Morse Historic Site in Poughkeepsie, which spawned the name. 

Throughout my life, I have always been a dog person, but we have been canine-less for the past decade. Growing up in New Jersey, we had three dogs during my childhood and into adulthood – Tiny, Sparky and Lady. Sparky was my one true pal growing up; he was named after New York Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle, and he was a true companion since all my older siblings were either busy or out of the house as I grew up as the youngest of four children. Sparky lived a good long life and went to doggie heaven just as I was about to graduate from college.

Our most recent dog was an insanely hyperactive Brittany Spaniel that Heidi acquired about six months before we met. We loved Brittni (I know, not the most creative of names), but she was a handful to say the least. When she succumbed to liver failure about 10 years ago, we decided that we could not delve into the canine realm with young children and babies in the house, especially on the heels of caring for such a high-strung, wild-eyed four-legger as Brittni. But now, the time is right, and we welcome Sammie to our home. She is a mixed breed – some black lab, a little boxer, who knows what else. The kids are loving our new pet, and I am hopeful that when she gets older she may become a slow jogging partner in the woods near our house.