Early one Sunday morning, Oregon resident Jared Twedell was driving to his local recycling center. As he is driving passed the railroad tracks, something catches his eye. He thought the movement was that of a deer. Rolling his window down, Jared tries to coax the creature off the dangerous tracks. He does all he can to get it to move. When he whistles, a set of ears perk up. This man finds the most heartbreaking thing – a puppy tied to the tracks.
“There are railroad tracks near the gate, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught this flicker of movement,” Twedell told The Dodo. “I thought it was a deer lying on the tracks.”
Image by Jared Twedell via screencapture from website PawMyGosh
Man finds a way to save tired puppy.
“I went into panic mode,” Twedell said. “He tried to walk toward the car and the rope pulled him back.”
The railroad tracks were very active, running three times a day. Twedell knew he needed to act quickly to save the pup. Without knowing how much time he had, Jared pulled his vehicle over and rushed to the dog. The puppy was obviously scared. Jared began sweet talking it. Eventually the dogs tail began wagging.
Image by Jared Twedell via screencapture from website PawsMyGosh
“He was obviously scared,” Twedell said. “I was worried about whether or not he would let me get close to him. I patted my leg and said, ‘Hey little buddy!’ His tail just started wagging. That’s when I knew he would be OK with me approaching him.”
The pup was exhausted, having been left out in the heat all day. Jared’s only concern at the moment was getting him untied and into the car safely. Someone had intentionally tied the dog to the tracks.
“The rope was tied in a figure eight, like you would use to tie a boat to a dock,” Twedell said. “Someone did this 100 percent on purpose. It just made me sick.”
Safe and sound and homeward bound.
There was no question that he was taking this dog home. He nicknamed the pup Train, but his family insisted on a more proper name: Samson.
Image via Jared Twedell via screencapture from website PawsMyGosh
Once they got home, Jared removed all the burs from Samson’s fur and gave him a bath. Samson was finally safe and out of the heat. He had a little cut on his neck yet didn’t seem to have any major health issues. He was at a good weight and obviously had his nails trimmed.
Samson took to Twedell’s other animals instantly. This included the two rescue dogs, cats and a Flemish rabbit.
Image by Jared Twedell via screencapture from website PawsMyGosh
“The dogs have all been getting along great,” Twedell said. “All they’ve been doing since I brought Samson home is play.”
Forever home in the future
It’s safe to say whoever had put Samson on the tracks had wanted a smaller dog. At just 6 months old, Samson is expected to grow bigger.
“He’s definitely rambunctious and really big,” Twedell said. “I’m sure someone got him thinking they’ll end up with a tiny puppy, not expecting him to already be 60 pounds at 6 months old. He’s still so young, and it was over 100 degrees with no shade out there. I don’t think he would have made it out there, even if a train didn’t come through.”
Image via Jared Twedell via screencapture from website PawsMyGosh
For now Twedell is fostering Samson, but it is quite apparent he will make him a part of the family. “He’s a really great dog,” Twedell said. “This little guy had someone watching over him.”
It seems Samson would like nothing more than to become a part of the family forever.
Featured Image via screencapture from website PawsMyGosh
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