A boy like no other, Sammy.
Credit: Jesse Scott and Lisa Martus
Sammy - known as Sam Sam, Samuel, Best Friend, Little Man, Nugget and Mr. Woof, among many terms of endearment - passed away peacefully in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, April 4, 2026. He was approximately 16 years-old and the best friend of his owners Jesse Scott and Lisa Martus since they adopted him in Las Vegas in 2012.
Sammy battled and was treated for congenital heart disease his last two years on planet Earth, never fully losing his spunk or the desire for any stray crumbs. During his final moments, he was in the loving care of long-time friend Kim and received final kisses from her pup - and one of Sammy’s best doggy friends - Lola. During Sammy’s passing, his parents were in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah - a landscape that forever resembles Sammy’s endless character, a fiery brand of tranquility and the shades of tans, oranges and white that Sammy donned during his lifetime.
Jesse and Lisa - both wildly allergic to most animals and not seeking to adopt a dog at the time - originally met Sammy at an Adopt-A-Rescue Pet event at the Petco on Blue Diamond Road in Las Vegas. Sammy was rescued from a kill shelter in Bakersfield, California by the nonprofit. He was billed as a cairn terrier, but later determined to be half chihuahua and a remaining mix of dachshund, Lhasa Apso and Yorkshire terrier. His DNA test confirmed it - there was no one quite like him.
At that Petco adoption event and amid an otherwise chorus of barks, Sammy was tucked in the back of his cage, quiet and with sad eyes. Jesse and Lisa passed by a week later, Sammy was still there and they learned he was the only hypoallergenic pup there. So, they took him home to foster. From there, they watched Sammy blossom, inevitably bursting out of a temporary pin to give them a lick and cuddle on their bed. A once quiet little guy eventually found his bark, inevitably woofing at boats, the mail lady and even his own reflection through the years.
Sammy was very much his Dad’s daily shadow and source of joy, joining him in-office at The Firm Public Relations & Marketing several days per week, where he often sat on his desk and next to his left arm. This closeness continued when Jesse and Lisa moved to Fort Lauderdale in late 2015 and Jesse worked remotely from there - Sammy was a staple on Jesse’s lap, resting at his toes and always nudged the bathroom door open when Jesse was in there, standing guard. Amid Jesse’s endeavors as a travel writer and when he returned home, Sammy always ran to Jesse with an open-mouth smile, lick and tail wag - that tail wag got slower as Sammy aged, but was always full of the most life and love he had to give. One of Jesse’s favorite parts of travel was FaceTiming with his wife and Sammy and the journey home to see them. Through an increasingly demanding schedule, Jesse could always look over to Sammy at his side for peace and - more often than not - a blink of the eyes that said, “I love you and you’ve got this Dad” all in one.
Sammy was Lisa’s protector and best snuggle buddy. Anytime Lisa and Jesse were lying on the couch or bed at home or on the road, Sammy always chose his Mom - wedged behind her back, on her blanket or between her shoulder and neck. Sammy slept on his Mom’s side of the bed, too, and rarely emerged in the morning to see Jesse until Mom was up and okay. Lisa had many favorite Sammy-isms - among them is how he’d paw open the near-closed kitchen pantry door and cozy up in his favorite nook in the corner, often leading to questions of “where did Sammy go?” It took years for Sammy to learn how to address a near-closed door, but he got there. She also loved his shoe-stealing and hoarding quirks - if there was a guest in the house that left their shoes out, they were fair game for Sammy’s thievery. Ice cream was Sammy’s favorite - at the end of any day, Lisa loved seeing Sammy get the final spoonful of his Dad’s favorite treat.
Sammy had a tough shell but eventually warmed up to almost everyone - seeing Sammy woof at a stranger entering the house and then cuddling on them within a 30-minute span was common. Among his favorite people was Eric, who lived with Lisa and Jesse in Las Vegas for 18 months. Eric visited Lisa, Jesse and Sammy in Fort Lauderdale for the first time in years less than a week before Sammy’s passing, equating to a beautiful and kismet memory in Sammy’s final days. Sammy had many four-legged friends - Sophie, Baxter, Jeremy, Rigby, Olive the Cat, Kiley, Gracie, Pebbles, Sasha, Shakira, Bentley and Max among them. Sammy’s travels were extensive, spanning runs on the beach in Santa Barbara, a cross-country move, summer lakeside runs through the grass in Lake Gaston, staycations throughout Florida and cuddles with Ya-Ya and his grandma at the culmination of so many I-95 road trips to Virginia.
There will never be another Sammy and his parents are forever grateful for his loyalty, protection, friendship and steadfast love.
Beyond condolences, those seeking to support a Sammy-related cause may donate to Abandoned Pet Rescue in Fort Lauderdale in his honor. For pet parents struggling with the loss of their companion, lovebaxter.com is a pet loss and end-of-life support site built in honor of one Sammy’s original four-legged friends in Las Vegas.
