Sampson died in the summer of 2003. He was the best dog I have ever known. A large dog weighing in at 110 lbs. When I moved into my rural home he lived about a mile down the road and is owners often neglected him, letting him fend for himself. He essentially grew-up to be somewhat of a wild animal. One day he came by the house, I threw him a stick and he never left.
Sampson adopted me when he was about 7 years old. He did not leave my property until his owners said "take him, we don't want him". There were signs that he was an abused dog. He was always a perfect gentleman with the ladies, but men he did not like unless they were related to me.
Sampson and I spent many wonderful days in the wilderness. He was my shadow and faithful photo companion for 6 years. Occasionally, he would get whiff of something and go for 2-3 hour runs through the forests near Parry Sound, Ontario. He always returned unscathed. One day something wasn't right with him, as we began our daily walk, Sampson stopped after a few steps, turned, wanting to go back to the house. I knew we had just completed our last walk together. I took him to the vet where he was diagnosed with a large tumor in his abdomen. The next day Sampson died in his sleep at home. He was 13 years old. I had him cremated and scattered his ashes by a small lake, deep in the woods where we used to frequently walk.
Tweaked this photo with Nik's Silver Efex
Look forward to comments.
![]()









