Samurai Imperial Trooper is in Doggy Heaven.

Samurai Imperial Trooper

Age 7, ~2004 - August 23, 2011

Samurai was a gentle dog in all aspects. He was a jokester. You will be in our hearts forever.

Nickname: Sam

Last year on this date, I filed my attorney fees and costs for the litigation against Pinal County. I never thought today would be the day Samurai would die.

While I was not home, and Heather slept, someone, a Coward, poisoned Samurai. How do I know? When Samurai barked, someone was around. There's evidence. Heather recalls Samurai barking at 3am. By 11am he was found outside Heather's bedroom door, dead.

For those that know Samurai's case, it is heartbreaking. I spent $25,000 in litigation and won on appeal to have Samurai released from Pinal County Animal Care & Control in Arizona after they filed chages that were unfounded, only to lose him a year later. Samurai's case set a precedent for Pinal County and the ongoing litigation continues as I am seeking to recover for the negligence caused by Pinal County while Samurai was in their care for 9 months. When I finally got him home, the year that he was gone seemed to melt away. But the time that was stolen seems forever now that Sam's gone.

Samurai's case will bring attention to the cruel care animals receive while confined at shelters. Samurai's case will protect all other animals once we prevail.

During the past year, I've received death threats from various people involved with Pinal County, and their friends. They still wanted to kill Samurai because they didn't believe the evidence the Court found in my favor.

I had plans for a wonderful Christmas with Samurai going to Flagstaff to play in the snow. Sam loved the snow. He loved going for a hike and exploring new places. He loved going for a ride in the car.

I remember funny incidents with Sam and they bring a tear to my eye. Sam loved bananas. He would drool so much it would bubble in his mouth as if he were blowing bubbles like children do. He loved it when I made my morning cup of coffee. He would wait until I had my coffee to eat his food. Sam was a gentle dog in all the sense.

Sam has a very small toy "Baby Lion" he got when he was a puppy. He loved that toy and never tore it. Sam loved playing jokes on us. He would play hide & seek, run through the house tearing up toilet paper and burry his bones in the sofa cushions or sit for days watching his burried bone outside so no one would take it. He would tease my German Shepherd by taking her favorite toy. Sam would toss his toys in the air and catch them. Sam loved to play catch. Sam was afraid of thunder and hated to get his paws wet.

Sam would console us when we were feeling sad. His 100 lb. body would become a lap dog and he would never leave my side. Sam loved watching television and seemed to enjoy the cartoons my daughter watched.

Samurai always had an unusually long tounge that would hang out of his mouth. He was such a silly boy. You could actually tell when he was laughing. He was an innocent dog who loved to play.

I feel extreme sadness thinking of his last few hours. Being alone. Being in pain. I feel guilt in not being there to help and protect him. A heavy guilt. There are no words that can comfort my pain. Only time will heal the emptiness and denial that he is gone and remember the good days.