Sophie and Sam

What is the Sam & Sophie Endowment Fund?

It is a pre-established fund from personal resources. The Sam and Sophie Endowment Fund is about giving back to animals the love and life-long friendship we received from them by supporting other animals in need. It is the legacy of our two late dogs, Sam and Sophie.

Who Benefits from the Sam & Sophie Endowment Fund?

This fund provides regular funding to three important charities close to our hearts: the Edmonton Humane Society in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; the Cochrane & Area Humane Society in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; and Evolucion Animal A.C. in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. All three organizations bring animals and people together, offering many programs that save animals’ lives and reduce suffering.

Who Created This Fund?

We prefer to remain anonymous, other than to family and close friends. After living in Alberta, Canada, we retired from our rewarding careers in 2020, and decided to take a huge step. We sold everything we owned and moved to Merida, Mexico. We also spend a few months of the year in Phoenix, Arizona. We love warmth and sunshine, and these two cities are the perfect fit.

Who Were Sam & Sophie?

Sam and Sophie were our very loyal dogs for many years and helped us become even closer as a family. They came into our lives when they were puppies and remained very important family members until they both passed away in September of 2020, only 12 days apart from each other. Many, many people have experienced the joys of owning a pet and, of course, many have also endured the pain of losing them. The loss of Sam and Sophie was more difficult for us than we ever imagined. We wanted to create some type of legacy, in their names, to help continue spreading joy like they did when they were alive. You can read more about their personalities in their biographies.

Are We Asking for
Donations?

No. The Sam & Sophie Endowment Fund is not accepting donations or asking you to make a donation to other organizations. If you want to learn more about the Edmonton Humane Society, the Cochrane & Area Humane Society, or Evolución Animal A.C., check out their websites.

About Sam

Sam was our first dog, and he found us on October 6, 2004. He was born on July 22, 2004 and was a typical Leo — he loved the spotlight, socializing, meeting new people, and adventures of any kind. He was a mixture of Pekingese/Poodle. Poodles are known to be among the top five smartest dogs, and we often said Sam was sometimes too smart for his own good. We frequently described him as a human in a dog’s body. He had extremely expressive human-like eyes, which he would use to communicate his next “demand”. Sometimes he pretended to be disinterested in what we were doing, however, if you looked closely, he’d turn his back to us while he watched our reflections in a mirror. Sam was very emotional, but he could be aloof when he wanted.

Pekingese were bred for companionship, and true to form, Sam loved to cuddle. He liked to cuddle on the sofa in the evening while we watched TV and particularly in bed when first going to sleep. Sam loved belly rubs and as he got tired, he really relaxed when we gently rubbed the area between his eyes. More than anything in the world, Sam loved to go for walks and he sniffed as though he were part Bloodhound! He loved car rides because it usually meant he was going for a visit or something equally as enjoyable.

Sam had a liver condition that required a special diet and daily medication. He had a fair amount of health issues, but despite all of this, he really was the happiest dog — he absolutely loved life and everything it offered. One could really learn a lot from a dog like Sam!

Sam passed away on September 16, 2020 at 16 years old after enjoying a warm fall day in his backyard with his family, and snacking on his favourite ice cream treat.

About Sophie

Sophie found us on March 19, 2006 and helped to ease Sam’s loneliness when we went to work. She was born on December 14, 2005 making her perhaps a not-so-typical Sagittarius. She preferred to stay in her own home, which made her nervous of car travel and new people. Sophie and Sam were pretty much opposites in every way. She didn’t like other dogs very much, and we’re not really sure how the fear developed. Sophie was a mixture of Shih-Tzu, Poodle, and Cocker Spaniel, a cute combination which made her look like a lamb. She had very expressive ears and wanted nothing more than to please her caregiver. We laughed because she always seemed to be the one in trouble, try as she might otherwise. Sophie was also very emotional, but she tended to hide her emotions.

Sophie had a few anxieties. She was sometimes scared of the sky, particularly if she saw an airplane contrail. Like a lot of female dogs, she tended to protect her den by barking at strangers and strange noises. Sam only used to bark maybe once or twice a week, so we had some adjustments to make when Sophie came along and seemed to teach Sam how to bark. We curbed her barking and didn’t allow her to get too carried away. You wouldn’t notice how many television shows and movies had “night scenes” (that use crickets to emphasize the scene) until you had Sophie around. She disliked the sound of crickets and they would wake her from the deepest sleep. Sophie didn’t really care for belly rubs since she’d have to lay on her back for them… but she always liked being in the same room as us and touching whenever possible. She liked getting scratched under her chin and having her ears rubbed too. Sophie was very giving when it came to kisses.

Sophie calmed down a lot in her later years once she lost a lot of her hearing and noises didn’t bother her as much. She didn’t have many health issues throughout her life, other than a bout with cancer that appeared on one of her paws. She endured the amputation of a toe and pad, but quickly adapted. In fact, she walked out of the hospital briskly, the same day. She was a tough gal!

Sophie passed away 12 days after Sam on September 28, 2020. She had been under the weather shortly before Sam passed away, and at one point stopped eating, which was very much unlike her. Her condition worsened and after losing Sam, she stayed in hospital for a few days while they tried to determine the problem. It turned out her kidneys were failing, which had probably started some weeks prior, but went undetected. The loss of her best canine friend Sam probably exacerbated her health issues. She spent her last days resting comfortably at home with her family where she was happiest. She would have been 15 in December.