Sign In

Stolen Therapy dog Sammy

December 21, 2020

As Joyce Cummings practiced a good deed on Dec. 12, donating winter coats for charity, an act of theft turned her world upside down.

Cummings’ said her 5-year-old therapy dog, Sammy, helps her through her battles with cancer. He’s been stolen, she said.

Sammy was stolen from Cumming’s car around 3 p.m. last Saturday in the parking lot of the Another Chance of Ohio free store in Slavic Village, Cummings said.

“I was mortified. As I’m doing a good deed to help, somebody is reaching inside of my car and taking my therapy dog,” she said.

Cummings is a two-time cancer survivor. She currently suffers from breast cancer and has surgery scheduled for Monday, she said.

“I’ve had 9 surgeries over the last year, Sammy is the only companion that I have at home so they took more than just my dog, they took my companion,” she said.

Sammy is a Shih Tzu Hainanese. He is tan and weighs 12 pounds.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of Sammy.

Cummings is doing what she can to recover Sammy. She said she’s reached out to her local Councilperson, Ward 12 Anthony Brancatelli, and filed a police report.

Her friends posted flyers on social media, encouraging others to keep an eye out.

Contact Cummings at 216-375-6915, Banfield Hospital at 440-845-9592 or Cleveland Division of Police Fourth District at 216-623-5426 if you find Sammy.

Register Your Dog

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more