by Katherine Killingsworth
SettlePou
In February of 2001, Samson- a German Shepherd mix, met Moe Nasr. Samson was just a tiny pup of five weeks old at that time- and had arrived at Moe’s office in a box. To say it was love at first sight is an understatement; Moe called his wife Louise right away and proclaimed Samson to be “the best dog in the world.” Moe and Louise adopted Samson and watched him grow to a full 95 pounds. Samson soon became a regular fixture at Moe’s office and loved playing soccer with all the guys- he could even block the ball with his chest!
At age six, the Nasrs were devastated to learn Samson had been diagnosed with cancer, but were hopeful he would overcome the disease with proper care. Sadly, in August of 2009, Samson succumbed to the cancer – possibly due to overtreatment.
After Samson’s death, Moe and Louise contacted Animal Law attorney Amy Bures Danna. They discussed several options, including taking action against the veterinarian that possibly over-treated Samson. Through this process, the Nasrs learned about many Texas animal law issues, and decided that “the only true means to helping animals is through the law.” Because of this, the Nasrs established an animal law scholarship in Samson’s honor at the University of Houston Law Center.
The Samson Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to a second or third year University of Houston Law Center student that wins an essay competition on an animal law related issue. The first recipient was Kathy M. Goodwin; she received the $1,000 scholarship at a law school award ceremony on April 20, 2011.
While Louise and Moe still feel Samson’s loss every day, they find satisfaction in knowing that the Samson Memorial Scholarship provides an avenue for them to make a positive impact on animal related legal issues in Texas. Louise and Moe are grateful for the assistance that Amy Bures Danna was able to provide and hope that the scholarship recipients will follow in her footsteps by using their legal expertise to help promote saving animals.