At double the weight of a normal Lab, Sampson may very well be Australia’s fattest dog.
But that’s not his fault. He’s in the care of the Animal Aid shelter in Coldstream, Victoria. Vet Amber Lavery is fostering Sampson until he loses half of his weight, and she is certain that his former owners fed him junk food.
In an interview with the Herald Sun she said, “He’s the size of a small heifer. It’s obvious to get a case of such extreme obesity, Sampson has been fed excessive quantities of the wrong types of food over a very extended period of time.”
His considerable girth presents challenges: his dog house no longer fits, and transporting him requires a van. He expected to back to his normal weight by Christmas, and it wouldn’t surprise us if there were a long line of potential adopters waiting to take him home.