Maybe you’ve seen Sammy the people-friendly boxer mix trotting along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk with her new running club.
If you haven’t, keep an eye out.
She may not run as fast as her two-legged partners, but she’s not there to win any races. She’s there to find a home, with a little help from her friends at Waterway Wellness Run Club.
Sammy had a home once, but wound up at Abandoned Pet Rescue when she was just a year old. That was more than five years ago.
“She’s incredibly smart, sweet and affectionate,” said Kara Starzyk, manager of the no-kill Fort Lauderdale shelter. “There’s a wonderful family out there. She really needs the chance to be seen. And it’s our job to get her out there so she can be seen.”
Sammy is now getting some special time in the spotlight — and a renewed chance at finding a forever home — thanks to a new partnership Abandoned Pet Rescue launched with Waterway Wellness Run Club, a local Fort Lauderdale running group.
In late June, the run club came to the shelter for a private tour, met Sammy for the first time and agreed to team up with the rescue group to find her a new home.
Two days later, on a Monday at 6 p.m., club runners met Sammy at their usual meeting spot at Laura Ward Plaza on Las Olas Boulevard, next to the Cheesecake Factory.
After 30 minutes of chatting and warming up, Sammy was making her first weekly run through downtown Fort Lauderdale. Part of her running gear includes a bright yellow “Adopt Me” leash.
The club’s founders are two sets of brothers — Dean and Sean Hunsicker and Dustin and Dakota Jones. The four friends moved together from Pennsylvania to Fort Lauderdale in September 2025 and started the run club a month later.
The run club initially wanted to take several shelter dogs along on the run, but runners were told it was not safe partly because the dogs don’t all get along. Instead, Starzyk suggested they focus on the dog that’s been at the shelter the longest. And that’s Sammy.
The club plans to take Sammy on group runs every Monday night until she finds a home.
Sean Hunsicker of the Waterway Wellness Run Club runs with Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, during a weekly run through downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, stands with members of the Waterway Wellness Run Club during a run through downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Kara Starzyk, executive director of Abandoned Pet Rescue, gets Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, ready for a weekly run with the Waterway Wellness Run Club through downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Sammy, a 6-year-old shelter dog, waits before a weekly run on Monday with Waterway Wellness Run Club through downtown Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, stands with Grace Mellinger, left, a member of the Waterway Wellness Run Club, and Kara Starzyk, executive director of Abandoned Pet Rescue, in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Jodie Booras, left, with Abandoned Pet Rescue, and Kara Starzyk, executive director of Abandoned Pet Rescue, take Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, to a weekly run with the Waterway Wellness Run Club through downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Sean Hunsicker of Fort Lauderdale runs with Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, during a weekly run through downtown Fort Lauderdale alongside Jodie Booras and Kara Starzyk, executive director of Abandoned Pet Rescue, on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
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Sean Hunsicker of the Waterway Wellness Run Club runs with Sammy, a 6-year-old boxer mix, during a weekly run through downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Sammy’s bio on the shelter website describes her as a black mouth cur/boxer mix with a sweet and friendly nature.
“She is very tuned in to the energy around her and takes her cues from her humans — calm environments bring out her relaxed, gentle side, while playtime brings out her happy zoomies,” the site says. “She would thrive in a low-key home with adults where people enjoy a balanced routine. She doesn’t need heavy exercise, but she does enjoy daily walks and the occasional burst of play to get her wiggles out. Once she’s had that, she’s content to settle and be close to her people.”
The running club is giving Sammy the kind of real-world exposure that a shelter kennel just can’t provide, Starzyk said.
When Sammy took her second run with the club on Monday, she showed up with a wagging tail and a ready-to-play spirit.
Dakota Jones, one of the club’s founders, made sure to mention Sammy during the group warmup.
“If you’re looking to adopt a dog, she’s the one,” Jones said. “Her name is Sammy. She’ll be here every Monday night, guys.”
Before the run, Sammy got attention from more than a few admirers who happened to be strolling by.
One woman stopped to say hello to Sammy and hear her story. She asked whether Sammy needed a home with no other pets.
“She is dog selective,” Starzyk answered with a smile. “She needs to be the boss girl.”
The woman gave Sammy a final pet and told her: “Good luck, Sammy. We’re rooting for you.”
Minutes later, a man and his wife came over to say hello.
Starzyk told them Sammy was up for adoption.
“We have her out here to meet people and get her a good home,” she said.
“Oh that breaks my heart,” the man said as he gave Sammy a pat on the head. “Hi Sammy. I’m sorry. We’re moving to Fort Myers. And we have a 17-year-old cat.”
Soon enough, it was time for the run.
Sean Hunsicker took the leash and led Sammy west along the Riverwalk.
After the run, the runners gathered around Sammy for a group photo.
“Everyone get around Sammy,” Dean Hunsicker said. “Give her some love.”
What happens if and when Sammy gets a new home?
“If she gets adopted, we’ll match them up with another one,” Starzyk said. “Just keep on going.”
Abandoned Pet Rescue
1137 NE Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. 954-728-9010. Open daily from noon to 5 p.m. Adoption fee $150. Due to high call volume, staff recommends sending an email to info@abandonedpetrescue.org.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow her on X @Susannah_Bryan