Samson the puppy owes his life to an animal lover named Jared after he found the dog tied to a rope on the train tracks.
Jared Twedell from Oregon was driving to a recycling center on a Sunday morning when he noticed something unusual by the train tracks. At first, he thought that he spotted a deer lying on the ground, so he tried to signal for the animal to leave the site by whistling. Obviously, this wasn’t a safe place as a train could wheeze by at any time and hit the pup.
But then, the closer Jared got to the animal he realized that it was actually a dog. Worse, the dog couldn't go anywhere because he was tied on the tracks.
Jared, who loves animals, said that he panicked when he saw the rope on the dog. He was trying to walk towards his car but the rope held him back. The man did not know how much time was left before the next train arrived, so Jared got out of his car and ran towards the dog to release him without even thinking of how the dog would respond.
Out of Harm's Way
Thankfully, the pup started wagging his tail as soon as Jared came. Though he looked scared, the dog allowed Jared close so he could help.
Jared said that the pooch also looked so exhausted and dehydrated. It became clear to the animal lover that someone deliberately left the four-legged animal on the tracks when he saw the rope was tightly wounded as eight figures. It was how people tied ropes off boats on docks so that it won't drift in the water.
Now out of harm's way, Jared took the dog home with him and named him Samson. Apart from a small wound on his neck, Samson generally seemed healthy.
Samson, 6 Months
Jared has two other rescue dogs at his home, along with a rabbit and a few cats. He said that all the animals got along fine and Samson easily warmed up to his new friends.
Apparently, despite his medium-sized built, Jared found out that Samson is still a puppy at just six months old. It's a great thing Jared gave Samson a second chance and rescued him from a potentially dangerous situation.
And while the dog is supposed to stay temporarily with Jared, it's likely Samson will be part of his growing family forever.
Saving a Stray
If you spot a stray dog and would like to help it, first consider the animal's emotional state before getting close to it. Understand that the dog might show aggression because it is scared but if you slowly and gently treat it, it would be easier to corner so that it won't run away anymore.
Make sure you have a good lure with you, especially if the dog hides in a hard-to-reach spot. Before you put the dog in the vehicle, also make sure that it's secured and confined since the dog could jump off it.
If you're bringing the rescue home, inform a local shelter that you have a stray dog with you, in case its owner is still looking for it. Better yet, proceed to the nearest shelter so that the dog could be properly assessed.
However, if the dog you rescued needs immediate medical attention, you must proceed to the vet. Bringing a rescued dog to a shelter when it's in bad shape could expose him to diseases and lessen his chances of survival.
Fostering or Adopting a Rescue Dog
If no one claims the dog you rescued after a few weeks, you could arrange to foster or adopt it from the shelter.
Some 6.5 million animals end up in shelters every year because of irresponsible owners. Of this number, around 1.5 million are euthanized because shelters have to make room for strays and animals given up by their owners.
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