Buddy the Beagle
by admin
When Buddy came to us he was severely underweight, he had no pads on his paws, was suffering from an ear infection and tested positive for heartworms… and this was an improved state from when he was found.
Buddy - Several Weeks AFTER Coming To Stay With Us
Weeks before coming to our home, he wondered up to the house of a wonderful couple and took up residence in their backyard (for purposes of this blog, I will call them the Smiths). Unable to bring him into the house because of dog allergies, the couple made him comfortable in their garage, sought medical attention for him, named him Buddy and did everything they could to improve his health. They carried him from the garage to the yard several times a day so he could go to the bathroom, they brought him fried chicken when he refused to eat dog food and they made sure he stayed warm. Once he started to feel a little better and began to adventure out of their garage on his own a little, they sent an emergency plea to AARF, desperately seeking a home where he could be looked after inside.
As soon as I saw the email, there was no way I could ignore it. By that afternoon, I was traveling across town to pick up my newest baby. The Smith home was warm and inviting, filled with the love of a new kitten they had also rescued only a short time earlier. How Buddy picked that house out of the entire neighborhood, knowing that was where he would find safety, makes me believe dogs have a sense about people that humans don’t.
When I arrived, Buddy was curled up on his bed in the garage and barely moved. The sight of his emaciated body was heartbreaking. He looked just like a pure-bred Beagle, but taller and about 20 pounds underweight. Every rib was visible and it took every ounce of his energy to lift his head to greet me. I was immediately taken by his long, floppy ears, which I would come to love feeling brush against my cheek. It was with a heavy heart and a bag full of fried chicken that Mrs. Smith sent Buddy home with me.
To this day, no one can explain why the pads on his paws were raw. Our best guess is that he walked a long distance, possibly on hot pavement, burning or scraping them off. The first few weeks Buddy was with us, we carried him to the bathroom and he rarely moved from his soft bed. There was an air of delight when he started walking around on his own. Eventually, he gained some much needed weight and his strength returned. At that point, Buddy underwent treatment for heartworms. When he was retested after the treatment was complete, he was still positive. He underwent the very painful and long treatment process a second time and finally tested negative. Nearly a year after coming to our home, Buddy was ready to find a forever family.
Fred was just a baby when Buddy first came to stay with us. He was fascinated by the new addition and gravitated to him like a fly to sugar. The two of them were best friends, cuddling and playing together. Fred had a habit of sitting on Buddy’s head… causing Buddy to let out an earth-shaking howl from deep in his belly, the kind only a hound dog can make. I came to love that sound, the sound of an older brother annoyed by his playful younger sibling. Every day, I struggled with the idea of how Fred and I would ever be able to live without Buddy, never knowing exactly where he was or who was caring for him. At the same time, I knew we did not have the resources to care for a third dog in a house full of fosters.
Best Buds
Buddy's Bed
Always Watching Over Him
A few months later, everything worked out perfectly when Buddy found his forever home with my Mom, in Wisconsin. It was an answer to my prayers. The two of them are a great match. He keeps her on her toes – always coming up with a new way to cause trouble. Most recently, he figured out how to turn the doorknobs so that he lefts himself in and out as he pleases. That probably wouldn’t be as big of a deal if he closed the door behind himself, so as not to let in the freezing Wisconsin weather. He continues to have picky eating habits, leading Mom to take him to a dietary specialist. He also continues to struggle with sore legs, housebreaking and separation anxiety… leading to training classes (where he met a doggie girlfriend) and more specialists. One female vet gave him a special bandana to wear around his neck. Buddy loves that green rag so much that he will nudge Mom until she puts it back on him after it has been washed. No replacement bandana has been acceptable, as the old one has started to show serious wear.
Buddy has also found a new best friend with one of my Mom’s cats (also a former foster – story to come another day). Buddy and I are lucky to share such a great woman as our Mom!
Dr. Pepper and Buddy
No Longer Looking For Love: Buddy Gets Spoiled From Sandy (a Family Friend)
Throughout Buddy’s stay in foster care, the Smiths covered his medical expenses and checked in regularly for updates. Several months after Buddy started to feel better, we took him to their home for a visit. He jumped right out of the car, walked up to the house, into the garage and made a bed for himself out of their entry rug. I had to carry him back to the Jeep when he refused to move, clearly comfortable there.
[…] I found this in my OLD sent items. It is the original plea email for Buddy from Mrs. Smith… so much worse than I had remembered. I apologize for the inaccuracies in […]
[…] food bowl. Mom had come with the intention of finding a doggie brother to adopt as a companion to Buddy. The minute she held Dr. Pepper, she knew she had found his new brother, even if it was a […]