"He's my best friend ... EVER!"
Samuel Spencer of Springdale gave his dog a pretty special title. So did the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association. The vets named Data Lee Spencer the pet of the year.
Data, a 6-year-old black Labrador retriever who happens to share a middle name with Samuel, is a certified companion animal for Samuel through Canine Companions for Independence.
"He plays with me. Don't ya?" Samuel explained and asked for confirmation from Data. "He knows his commands. Data, come."
"He's a buddy, a companion," said Amber Spencer as Samuel hugged Data's neck.
"Watching that bond with the little boy and the dog is very special," said Maggie Milligan, executive director of the veterinary association. "You can tell he loves that little dog. He's special to that family."
"He's just a great dog," said Springdale veterinarian Chase Davis, who nominated Data.
MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
Samuel, now 13, was born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain. Samuel has undergone numerous surgeries to place shunts to remove the fluid.
Samuel also displays delays in growth and fine motor skills, Amber said.
And he was afraid of dogs.
Amber explained that Samuel was very nervous around animals about age 5 or 6. If a dog ran toward him, Samuel's unstable gate could lead to a fall. "And he was definitely afraid of the barking," Amber said.
"We never had animals," she continued. "We wanted to get a pet so he would not be afraid, but we knew it would take a special animal.
"Data is so calm and gentle with Samuel, he allowed Samuel to be calm around him."
But Data is Amber's dog, in a manner of speaking: "I'm his handler. Sam is the recipient," she said. "We make a team only when we're out in public, all three together."
Amber trained full time for two weeks with CCI in Florida. She handled many dogs during the process, but Data was her favorite.
Once Data came home to the Spencers', there were lots of rules to build the bond between the boy and the dog. No one could pet the dog but Amber and Samuel. Only Amber fed him -- and Data was on a strict diet of green beans and carrots. Samuel was the only one allowed to give him treats.
"For the first 30 days, Data was always tethered to Samuel when we were home," Amber said. "If Samuel was sitting in a chair, Data was tethered to the chair. Data slept in his room. And there was lots of bonding, laying on the couch."
Dogs barking like crazy can still distress Samuel, and on one instance, Data put himself between Samuel and the perceived threat, Amber said. Data did same thing at a local store when teenage boys were running down the aisles and yelling.
"This was a break in command," Amber said. "Data is trained to always have his ear at my knee." She checked with CCI, and they gave their approval.
"He's definitely a member of the family," said Jim Bob Spencer. "And he still goes to work with Amber, who works with Children's Therapy Team, and interacts with the children."
"Data likes that," Amber said.
Data also will go with Amber on Samuel's school field trips and on special lunch dates at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale. Samuel works with an aide during the school day.
"Samuel is now so proud to answer everybody's questions about Data," Amber said. "We never expected he would tell people about Data.
"The kids can really relate to Samuel now. They ask, 'Can I pet your dog?' And Data likes it, t00."
REST EARNED
These days, though, Data rests a lot and "does very little," Amber said. After five years of working for the family, he is retired.
In early October, Data was cowering in pain and not eating well, Amber reported. Dr. Chase considered several diagnoses. But when blood appeared in Data's urine, Davis removed the dog's spleen and saw tumors, which he removed and sent for testing.
In November, the results came back: Data has hemangiosarcoma, an incurable cancer that attacks the organs, Davis said. The dog underwent a couple of chemotherapy treatments to hold the cancer back.
"But we're just waiting for it to attack the next organ," Davis said. "We don't know what is going to happen.
"We didn't think he'd make it this far," she said. "We take it one day at a time. Dogs live in the moment."
The family has talked to Samuel about Data's condition, and he's slowly asking questions and processing it, Jim Bob said. They have talked about building a memorial to the dog in the back yard.
While a dog is working, CCI maintains ownership, but with retirement, the organization releases the dog for full adoption by the family.
Amber reported Tuesday that Data is eating and playing, in addition to that resting. "He's really enjoying not having to do his work all the time."
"Data has transitioned to a pet to love on," Amber said. "He has brought us so much joy and happiness."
The entire family now can interact and feed Data the pet -- anything he wants. Samuel said Data's favorite food is the same as his: chicken nuggets.
NAN Our Town on 05/24/2018