News

Sam the Therapy Dog running for Hero Award

Sam, a therapy dog, with his human, Nancy Weinhagen, is competing for a Hero Dog Award.

By Taylor Wright, Published: April 12, 2016

When she first met Sam, a six-month-old puppy that someone dropped off at the Saluda Veterinarian Hospital, Nancy Weinhagen had no way of knowing that the sad-eyed lab mix would bring so much joy and comfort to so many.

Weinhagen, an employee of the veterinarian, adopted Sam and put him through training until he got his certification as a registered therapy dog. He has made almost 1,200 community visits since 2012. Sam, thought to be a lab and blue tick hound mix, has made appearances at the Bridge at Lake Pointe Landing, the Saluda Library, where he is the star of “Sam’s Reading Buddies,” Tryon Estates, Glen Arden School and several different law enforcement facilities.
“Wherever they need him, he goes,” Weinhagen says. “They call, we go.”
What makes Sam a quality therapy dog is his mellow behavior and intelligence. In training, Sam was placed in nursing homes and had interactions with people using walkers and wheelchairs. He remained calm and sat in place. He knows that at one specific nursing home, two residents like to have him lie on their beds. He avoids getting on any other beds.
“One woman who just recently passed requested to have Sam lay beside her bed until her last breath,” Weinhagen says. “She also requested that he made appearances at a veterans cemetery and at the Catholic Church her service was located at.”
Some people say that Sam was sent by God, given that he has a cross-shaped patch of white on his chest.
Sam is in a competition for the Hero Dog Award by the American Humane Association in the therapy dog category. There are 34 dogs in the category. The first round of voting ends on April 27. Sam supporters can vote on line once a day.
The second round of voting is May 11-June 22, and the third round is from July 6- Aug. 22. If Sam wins all three rounds, he and the other top three dogs will go to California to receive awards and he’ll earn $2,000 for a charity. His foundation is Paws and Effect, an organization that raises, trains and places service dogs with disabled veterans and children.
If he wins the overall championship in California, Paws and Effect will receive an additional $5,000. There are no other dogs in the area entered in this competition, the closest one being in Raleigh. To vote for Sam click here. To keep up with Sam, go to his Facebook page, Sam the compassionate therapy dog.