The dog was breaking her heart.

Pacing the railroad tracks all day long and into the evening, the jet black Labrador seemed to appear out of nowhere, even as Ranier dogs go.

Howling, bewildered, her ears remained flat and tail tucked under. The dog was living in a state of constant distress, crisscrossing the tracks in panic mode.

Mary Ann Kasich had been watching the sad silhouette for days, through the lace curtain of her back door in Ranier.

“It was really getting to me,” Kasich said. Several times, Kasich held her breath as she spotted the animal heading out across Rainy Lake’s Sand Bay.

Apparently, the dog’s fragile state and pitiful barking had gotten the attention of several other Ranier residents as well. Patrons at Grandma’s Pantry were worried about the velvet shadow that frantically traced the rail lines.

Some residents left food for the dog and tried to approach it. However the leery Lab was without trust. Calls had been made to the humane society and law enforcement. “But no one was able to get within 40 feet,” Kasich said.

Being out and about in Ranier is routine for the proprietress of Woodsport Cottages. Responsibilities demand frequent back-and-forth treks between Kasich’s home and her rentals.

“Sam,” (as Kasich referred to the dog — later to be renamed “Samantha”), would occasionally take refuge in the backyard of a residence along the tracks. “She’d hide in different spots for safety,” said Kasich.

But the sight of her curled, tense body fused to the winter ground with the falling snow her only blanket, was heart wrenching. And as temperatures dipped to 20 and nearly 30 below zero, Kasich and her husband Wayne thought that Sam might die. She was so alone.

Although the couple had decided not to have a dog at this point in their lives, Kasich lost her heart to the canine. “The dog's situation affected me in a way I could not control. I knew that for this dog to be saved, it would be a full-time job to gain its trust. I consciously set out to do that, knowing that Wayne and I would have an addition to our family if I was successful.”

Donning a black parka, she began to circulate the dog’s territory and to “stalk her.”

“I just observed her habits and put down food, but I didn’t try to touch her,” Kasich said. Their only connection was Kasich’s unique whistle, to which the dog became familiar. She began to show faint signs of trust. “We would just look at each other,” Kasich added. Occasionally, Kasich would openly play with another Ranier dog, “Mack,” as Sam watched.

Then one night, Sam moved in closer. “Sit,” Kasich impulsively commanded. To her astonishment, Sam sat. “Shake,” she then said. The Lab held out her paw.

“We touched paw and hand for the first time, just like a scene out of ‘ET’”... Kasich wrote in an e-mail to her daughters Mari and Rana. Then Sam offered herself for petting and amazingly followed Kasich home.

Still reticent, Sam remained on the fringes of the Kasich yard. She slept near the outside of a warm box and blankets that were placed for her. Methodically, Kasich moved Sam’s unsanctioned quarters closer to the couple’s house, right outside the window.

Over the next two weeks, the two would stare at each other through the lace curtain of the Kasichs’ door. Gradually, Kasich coaxed the animal up the front steps and into the porch of the home by offering treats. Two exterior doors were left open to the freezing cold in an effort to entice Sam to put her head inside. It worked. “Little by little, day by day, she came in the house to eat treats but would then exit really fast out the open doors.”

Sam eventually followed Kasich throughout the home — back and forth, over and over. Finally, the dog tolerated a closed door and stayed inside for a bit, although Kasich took her in and out of doors “a ga-zillion times.” But on this blizzarding night, with temps measuring 27 degrees below zero — Sam made the decision to stay.

Samantha laid down that first night on the main floor of the Kasich home. By morning, she was in the couple’s bedroom. “It’s been love, love, love ever since,” Kasich said. And the trust that Kasich won is exemplified by Sam’s constant vigil of her mistress.

And so goes this love story.

No longer adrift and in fear, Sam is a friendly, sweet “beautifully sculpted” pet who neither barks or begs. Kasich reports that the animal loves being indoors, but has daily playtimes outdoors and even goes for rides in the car. Now the two watch winter scenes through the door’s lace curtain, together.

Kasich gets calls and hears stories from others who were concerned about the animal. Watching Sam’s happy gait of belonging, many question if it could really be the same dog.

Kasich may never know Sam’s story. She saw the suffering and responded. She let life lead.

“Now that she is here, I can't believe how in love we all are,” Kasich said. “I guess everything happens for a reason. We love nurturing her and making her feel safe.

“It is really true how animals affect us in a positive way. She is just as good for us as we are for her.”