About a Dog Named Sam
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Dog
By Nanette Norgate

A dog has one purpose in life: to bestow his heart.
~J.B. Ackerley

It was the last year before I retired my Labrador Retriever, Samantha, from her role as a therapy dog. Sam and I had been volunteering in a shelter that offered support for women and children in need. A young mother and her four-year-old son had come to the shelter after leaving an abusive relationship. They had been in the shelter for several weeks, and the little boy, William, hadn’t spoken since their arrival.

Every Saturday, Sam and I would visit and play with the children who were staying in the shelter with their mothers. And, every week, William and his mother would come to watch but never participate. We had tried to engage with William when he first arrived at the shelter, but he never left his mother’s arms. No one was able to talk to him, come near him, or even touch him. (Keep reading)