As temperatures begin to drop in Houston, Texas, Samantha and her boyfriend George are working to rescue and foster as many stray dogs as possible.

She’s been doing this for years, and her boyfriend also joined her along the way. A terrier mix named Boomer was saved.

He lived in a local parking lot with three other stray dogs. Boomer was found dirty and limp, and it was later determined that he had been shot with a shotgun.

Given his condition, saving Boomer became their priority, but they did not abandon his friends. Samantha has several dogs, but is always fostering 10-20 at a time.

paralyzed with fear


Boomer was very scared from the beginning. It took two days to catch and rescue him because he was so scared.

When Samantha finally took him home, Boomer was unsure about everything.

“We tried to call him to come in, and it was like there was a forcefield right at the door, like he had been conditioned to just never come inside the house,” Samantha told The Dodo. 

It was simply heartbreaking to see him struggling to even step inside the house. 

@streetlifetothesweetlife

Boomer. We will show you what a great life is like. Just trust us 🥺❤️♬ Can We Kiss Forever? – Kina

He was, unfortunately, also very sick – he had heartworm and a torn CCL, which required major surgery. 

It took a lot of patience and love to show Boomer that the world is not such a scary place. Slowly but surely, he started to open up. 

“As long as you’re near him, he’s super happy,” Samantha said. Only a month later, Boomer was a completely different dog. 

From Street Life To Sweet Life 

It didn’t take long for Boomer to get adopted once he was completely healthy and recovered from his surgery. 

He was adopted through Dodge County Humane Society into a wonderful family from Madison, Wisconsin. 

Boomer – now known as Porter – is finally enjoying his sweet life, and he is not scared of the house anymore. 

His new parents had been talking about getting a dog for a long time, so when they saw the photo of Boomer, they immediately knew they had to have him. 

“He was pretty comfortable as soon as he walked in. He was smiling, and his tail was wagging. You could tell he knew he was starting a new chapter,” Mike, Porter’s dad, told The Dodo. 

Not only is Porter now a very happy dog, but he has also brought so much happiness to his new family. 

“We’re really excited for all the time we’re gonna have with him,” said Mike. 

On Porter’s ‘adoptaversary’, his mom posted an update on his Instagram page: 

“🐾 ONE YEAR 🐾 Happy “Adoptaversary” to the sweetest boy who ever lived. It’s amazing how quickly a year goes. We can’t imagine life without you shadowing us (especially to the kitchen), herding us to the back door for a walk, and best of all your sweet snuggles.”

Follow Porter on his Instagram, @porterinthehaus, for more life updates and, of course, more adorable photos. Check out Samantha and Street Life to the Sweet Life for more incredible rescue stories.