Samoa: After rescue, her white coat shines again

When workers rescued 9-year-old Samoa from the basement of a house in Cape Girardeau, she was covered in feces and her hair was matted and brown. Now, 11 months later, the solid-white German Shepherd is back to her normal color and settled in with her new family.

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri rescued four dogs in early January. Samoa was one of them.

"Samoa had not been out of the basement for several years," said Cheryle Dillon, Humane Society director. "We rescued her out of a very serious neglect home."

Just 12 days after the dog was rescued, Donna May adopted her. May's father had gone to the shelter to see a different dog from that same rescue. He saw Samoa and called his daughter immediately.

"When I was a little girl my dad had a white German Shepherd," May said. "I went and looked at her and just fell in love with her."

At first Samoa wouldn't even come out of the cage when they opened the gate at the Humane Society, May's father Tom Kuehn said. They took her out into the play area to try to loosen her up.

"I started scratching her back and she was in hog heaven," May said.

The dog was timid and took time warming up to May's husband and sons. She still keeps her tail tucked under when around other people.

"There for a while she kept it tucked a lot," Kuehn said.

Samoa has adjusted to her new life. She is house-broken and plays well with the children and other animals.

"She's real skittish around new people," May said. "But she loves to play."

She said Samoa plays tag and wrestles with the other dogs. She has an acre of land to play on in Allenville, Mo. Instead of being surrounded by concrete and barrels of feces in a basement, Samoa is now surrounded by fields and other healthy animals.

The family calls her "Momo," May said, "because when you're outside and she runs into you, she'll mow you down."

The dog follows May throughout the house and usually sleeps right next to her bed.

"She's my baby," May said.