Samuel relaxing.

On November 1st, 2021, someone had reached out to me to see if I could help a stray dog in her neighborhood. The location was not the safest of areas to be out all hours of the night. I told myself, “I can’t take this one.” When I explained to the lady that the area is a little outside my radius, she simply said, “I understand. It’s just hard to listen to him crying at night in the empty lots beside my house.” That is all it took for me to get involved with Samuel. Nobody claimed him, and I was not being paid for my time. But the temperature was starting to drop and he needed my help. The woman who contacted me was kind enough to cover my car expenses and some food for the trap.  

He’s not letting the cats eat all of the chicken.

Once I get involved in a case, it is impossible for me to walk away. There is a bond you form with the animal, on a spiritual level. It was hard for me to go to bed at night knowing that myself, and this good Samaritan, were the only ones looking out for this guy. The first night was a bust. I set a trap on a small trail which sat directly behind a cemetery. I only saw cats and racoons. The second night, I saw Samuel’s face appear on the camera at around 4:30 a.m. On the third night, he came into my trap but not far enough to set off the trip plate. I was hurting for some sleep, as I had to take care of my other animals during the daytime. On the fourth day, November 5th, I made a point to get to the location earlier than usual.  

Samuel was out walking along the streets in broad daylight. He even walked right past my car. I knew I couldn’t do much but watch him inch his way over to the trap. I was simply hoping he would do so before one of the cats got trapped in front of him. Sure enough, he walked over to the trap, sniffed around, and went inside. From the car, I could hear the trap door slam shut, and the good Samaritan and I breathed a sigh of relief.  

He wasn’t happy with me at first.

Once I got Samuel inside the car, I opened the trap door to see how he would react to me. I needed to get him comfortable enough with me to scan him for a microchip. He was friendly. I was getting the impression that he was dumped there, as we found no posts online or posters around the area. To make things more complicated, he was not chipped. How did he wind up in a desolate lot in the middle of Brownsville? We had arranged for a rescue to take him in, and I drove him up to a Long Island vet associated with the rescue organization. He was due for a check up.  

Samuel at the vet’s office.

I never saw Samuel again. But this time, I was confident he was in good hands. He had a reputable rescue group looking after him, and when I checked back days later, he was already adopted out. I gave him the name Samuel for the four days I spent attempting to trap him. Even though it was a mystery as to where he came from, it reminded me, that sometimes the work is about getting the animal to the person who is meant to give them a better life.