Sampson the dog should really be named Houdini. The lovable rescue pup from Springfield, Virginia, has pulled off not one, but two daring disappearing acts, both leading to the exact same destination: his favorite doggy daycare.
Yup, Sampson isn’t running away from home… he’s just running to Dogtopia, Springfield.
“He has a lot of friends there and loves everyone who works there. It’s his happy place,” shared Sampson’s owners, Mike and Dawn.
Most recently, on July 22, the canine escape artist vanished from his fenced backyard after being let out for his usual routine. “We had let him out in our backyard like we do at least 3 times a day, and he had been out there no more than 10 minutes, so we just assumed he saw a fox and decided to chase it away,” the couple told PEOPLE.
But when their calls and whistles didn’t bring him back, they knew he “must’ve gone for a longer trip.”
And he sure did, 1.5 miles, all the way to Dogtopia.
Mike and Dawn jumped in the car, retracing their usual walking path with Sampson, and even swung by the daycare, only to miss him by a few minutes. A Dogtopia staff member had already spotted Sampson trotting into the parking lot and welcomed him inside.
Security footage shows the loyal pup showing up at the door, looking around, and waiting politely to be let in, as if he owned the place.
“Relieved and not at all surprised,” Mike and Dawn said when Dogtopia called to say Sampson was safe and sound. “The scariest part is that he had to cross two main roads to get there,” they added, noting his remarkable sense of direction.
Sampson’s been a regular at Dogtopia since he was adopted as a 6-month-old Plott hound puppy from Operation Paws for Homes. Now a little older and just as energetic, his family describes him as “loving, energetic, protective, and silly.”
“We think he was originally raised for hunting, but likely failed hunting school because he’s such a sweetheart and is easily startled,” they joked.
While Sampson’s devotion is adorable, Mike and Dawn hope his story reminds other pet owners of one important thing: “Get your pets microchipped.”
Because you never know when your dog might make a break for their favorite place, friends, treats, and all.
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