Help Sweet Sammy Girl

Please help sweet Sammy Girl!    Meet Samantha.  She is a 120 LBS Black Russian Terrier and a true gentle giant. She is forever loving and loveable.  She loves and will pretty much do anything for a pet. Even a quick scratch behind her ears and she will be puddy in your hands.  Her big brown eyes and sweet disposition make her a fast friend to every human she meets.  Once you meet her, it's hard not to love her.  She's been my best friend and always with me for the past 7 years and now she needs help to get the care that will keep her by my side.  I adopted Sam when I was in college and the connection was almost instant.  She moved with me, after college, making the trek from Florida to Pennsylvania, and settling in to our new home in Philadelphia.  Black Russians are known for their loyalty, but I can't overstate what a faithful and devoted friend she has been.  Sam has always been a calm and peaceful pup.  She almost never barks, she doesn’t need a leash, and the pushiest she ever gets is when she wants a head scratch.  She really is a gentle giant.     




Sam has been fighting a very serious infection in her leg that is threatening to spread and affect her internal organs.  We are asking for help to get her the treatment she needs to keep that from happening.  The infection started as a golf ball-sized sore under her front, right elbow.  After a trip to her local vet and a bag full of medicine, she continued to decline, until we finally decided we had to go to the ER.  They admitted her to the intensive care unit overnight and, in the morning, we got the heart-breaking news that Sam's infection was very serious and it was not likely to respond to antibiotics.  One look at her leg made it clear that her situation had become much worse.  We learned she likely needed surgery to clear out the infection before it spreads and begins to affect other organs.  We also learned her kidneys are already showing signs of being effected.  We took her home and have been doing everything we can to keep her comfortable and help her body fight the infection, but we know that surgery is her best option and, even if she fights off the infection on her own, she will still need a great deal of care for recovery.   

Please help sweet Sammy Girl!