CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Samantha Reeves adopted Samson the chihuahua back in 2007 she never dreamed of this reunion story.
After a series of moves from Charlotte to New York then Rhode Island and then eventually back to Charlotte, Reeves rehomed her beloved pup after the birth of her son, concerned they weren’t a good fit.
Reeves and her husband did find a woman to take Samson in, but that was nearly six years ago.
“We felt terrible, it was a really hard decision. We vetted a lot of people and did a lot, a lot of searching to find a home for him,” Reeves said.
Reeves later learned the woman kept him for about a year before adopting him out to another home.
Fast-forward to Feb. 23, Reeves got a surprising voicemail from the company that microchipped Samson when Reeves first brought him home.
“To get the phone call he’s alive and he’s in rough shape, it didn’t matter we knew we had to get him,” she said.
Rhonda Jabusch found Samson more than 2,700 miles away in Battle Ground, Washington. Samson was malnourished, dirty and scared.
“I looked down and here was Samson just lying there curled up in a little ball staring up at us,” Jabusch told KPTV.
The microchip company put the two women in contact.
Reeves knew she wanted to get her little guy home but didn’t know how, so she posted a message online.
“I wasn’t looking for judgement. I just wanted help,” Reeves said.
As luck would have it, flight attendant Leslie Toler who lives in Indian Land offered to fly to Washington state to pick up Samson – for free.
“I saw this random note about a little dog that needed to come home, and I thought why not?” said Toler.
After a brief meeting at the airport, and a long flight, Samson arrived home on Tuesday.
Aside from minor dental issues – his vet said Samson is in great health, given all he’s been through.
“We just want to give him the best life we can for the rest of his life,” Reeves said.
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