Sam came to Lucky Dog from behind a salon chair. Years of cutting hair for people turned out to be good training for cutting hair on dogs, because the fundamentals are the same: read the coat, know what the tools can do, and pay attention to how the client is feeling the whole time. The difference is that her clients here wag when they see her, and Sam will tell you that is an upgrade.

Off the clock, she spends her time with senior citizens. Which tells you most of what you need to know about her. Sam is drawn to the ones who need a little more patience, and she brings that same patience to the dogs who need it.