Sammy and Thora

Melissa T. of D.C., has two dogs, Sammy and Thora:  “They are nuts. Sammy is the definite Corgi mix – with the brown eyebrows. Thora’s mix, I’m not so sure”.

On Sammy’s (recent) birthday, Melissa made him a bacon cake.  “They DESTROYED that cake, with a little help from a couple of good neighborhood doggie friends.” 

“Both of them came from Georgia, when I lived in Atlanta. Thora was a stray found on the movie set of “The Gift” with Keanu Reeves, Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes and Hillary Swank. She had a role (as a three month-old puppy) in the opening credits. When it became obvious from the neighbor-reported shrieking when we left the house and from the torn-up furniture when we came home that she couldn’t be alone, we had to get her a friend. We found Sammy at an adoption in Atlanta. They were instantly best buddies. Sammy was rescued by a lady who ran a small shelter out of her home. High kill rates in Georgia –Sammy only had seven days to live from the time he hit the shelter to when we rescued him. This is why I am pro-rescue. You can find an amazing dog in a shelter and plenty of full breeds too.”

“When my then-boyfriend and I broke up, he took Thora and I took Sammy. After a couple years apart, Thora ran away from his home in Macon, Georgia. He didn’t even look for her, so I put an ad in the paper, “Lost black dog with one blue eye.”

“That blue eye saved all of us because I got a call and I got my dog back. At this time though, I was living in Maryland. So I drove all night to get her, and reunited her with her buddy Sammy. Their faces when they saw each other again after a couple years was just amazing. If it wasn’t 5:00 a.m. and I didn’t just drive for 30 straight hours to get Thora, I probably would have had the presence of mind to take a picture.”

“Even though they act like a true brother and sister who are just bothered by the other, Sammy and Thora are traumatized if they are separated. They like to sleep butt to butt, and have an interesting sharing arrangement: Sammy gets all the treats, Thora gets all the toys. We live in Washington D.C. and they have full run of our balcony where they have a dog door and can go in and out to bark at people down on the street.

“We all used to call Sammy the “lifeguard” because he would sit in his chair (the pic of him in the snow piles) and look over the railing. We’re on the 4th floor but he sees it all.”

“Now I have elevated his status to Ambassador, because he’s out there all the time. Skateboarders and firetrucks are his nemesis. He lets them know who owns the block.”

“While it’s illegal, Sammy and Thora walk all over D.C. without leashes. Occasionally a cop says something to me, but they are notorious as “the dogs who walk themselves.” Even I’m impressed with their ability.”

“I know everyone says their dogs (and kids) are smart, but seriously, Sammy and Thora are unbelievably intelligent. They know more than just a few simple commands. Last night Thora was headed into my bed with a big juicy bone. I said, “No bones in my bed Thora.” she looked at me, dropped it by on the floor and jumped up. My boyfriend just shook his head and said, “I just don’t get it. ” They also know my car … if I drive onto the street below my condo, they hear the car and both of them come out to their respective chairs on the balcony and bark until I acknowledge them. It’s impossible to sneak off to work if that balcony door is open. They have mastered the art of stalking. People who say dogs can’t see very well or very far are mistaken. My babies are ten years old and they can see me from 40 feet up in the air.”

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