♥♥♥ Marshall’s Story ♥♥♥
Marshall the Samoyed attracts attention wherever he goes. From his thick, white, fluffy coat to his big Sammy smile to his willingness to befriend everyone he meets Marshall is a real showstopper. That’s Marshall today, but his story really begins two years ago when he brought together a group of people who would be forever joined by their love of a dog they all saved.
In June, 2022, dog rescuer Jeanette Suding saw a post about a dog trapped and crying in a ravine in a rural area. Lots of people commented, but no one stepped up to help him, so when Jeanette left work, she was on a mission to find and save him. When she reached the location, a viaduct with a creek below, she called the dog for an hour before she heard a tiny bark and then high-pitched painful crying. She threw food to lure him up the hill, but he just kept crying, turning in circles and trying to bite his back. Jeanette knew she couldn’t leave him, so she climbed down the steep rocky hill in her work clothes to find a dog so matted with feces and urine he could hardly walk. He was very relieved to see her. No one knows how long he had been abandoned there or whether he had fallen or been thrown down that hill.
Jeanette managed to bring the dog up the hill to safety and met the Sullivan police at Animal Control. From there Moultrie County Illinois PAWS rescue stepped in and immediately had him treated by Kaskaskia Valley Animal Hospital. Dubbed “Marshall” now he was so dirty and matted that urine was burning his skin. Most of his coat had to be shaved so he could be treated for the infection, but he never lost his smile. Humans may have failed him before, but throughout his ordeal he held no grudge.
Marshall’s journey to his new life soon crossed state lines. Moultrie County Illinois PAWS contacted a St. Louis foster-based rescue to see if they could help. Sandy Michael of American Eskimo Rescue of St. Louis (AERSTL) agreed to take Marshall as soon as he was stable, so within a week he was on his way to Missouri.
Under the care of American Eskimo Rescue of St. Louis Marshall received excellent treatment from veterinary specialists. A veterinary ophthalmologist examined Marshall and found he had only limited vision in his right eye and that his mal-formed left eye had to be removed. As if that weren’t enough, Marshall continued to walk in circles most of the time. An MRI revealed the cause. He has hydrocephalus, a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the skull, causing the brain to swell and put pressure on it. His neurologist Dr. Jeremy Shomper put Marshall on medications which prevent seizures. He is intent on giving Marshall the best quality of life.
Jeanette and Carol stay in touch, sharing photos and Marshall stories. Those early photos are painful to look at, but the more recent ones show a handsome, confident, well-loved dog. Jeanette Suding saved Marshall’s life, Sandy Michael took him into rescue, and Carol and Tim make sure Marshall is loved every day. He will never again be hungry, thirsty, or neglected. He will never be abandoned.
Marshall’s transformation from a dog left in a ravine to a joyful companion has captured the hearts of everyone who knows him or hears his story. When Carol looks at his smiling face she is reminded of the dozens of human angels whose kindness and compassion gave him this second chance. Marshall is living his best life every day because of his unfailing spirit and trust in humans. He has touched the lives of his rescuers and brought out the best in all of us who saved, healed and love him.