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Buddy One Year Later

July 28, 2008, 4:53PM MT

A rescued dog who wasn’t supposed to survive

A rescued dog who wasn’t supposed to survive

Posted by Barbara J. Koll, Best Friends Network Volunteer

Forward by Buddy's Dad, Merrick "Rick" Morton
He is a rescue that was not supposed to live. If you saw him now you would never know he is the same dog that was rescued from the side of the road in Mississippi. Buddy was never supposed to walk on all fours, but now walks and runs on all fours. Recently he started doing his happy dance at the front door when we get home. Buddy never barked when he was at ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) and was silent for the first two weeks when he came to Los Angeles. Now you can hear that bark from two blocks away! He is always changing, trusting more, and wanting more attention. Buddy and my other dog Finn, who is twice Buddy’s size, are very close friends. The perfect match. They play tug-of-war with their toys every morning. Buddy goes on two mile-long hikes every day. When Buddy came to California, he had two surgeries, the last one lasting five-and-a-half hours. Following the second surgery he had six months of water rehabilitation therapy. Now he is doing better than great. My wife and I are both madly in love with him, and Buddy is in love with everyone including his favorite toy, a stuffed squirrel.

Excerpts from story by Lisa McComiskey posted on the ARNO website.

Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) will never know just how “Buddy” got on that endless stretch of the interstate just outside of Biloxi, Mississippi. Was he dumped along that highway, he and his traveling companion, another thin and gangly dog, this one missing his entire left front paw, had they both been left to die? Did the two dogs live in the area and were somehow just lost? ARNO and Anabel Salinas, will never know the answer to those questions but one thing was certain on that afternoon that Anabel saw the pair of canines, they were both in desperate need of help and appeared starving, grotesquely obvious to every car that surely whizzed past before Anabel stopped.

It was February 13, 2007, a little more than a year ago when Anabel saw the pair shortly after finishing an animal transport, and within moments of spotting them, her vehicle was careening down the emergency lane of the interstate…in reverse. Determined and armed only with leftover French fries from a fast food lunch, Anabel lured the thinner dog into her car, and then proceeded to wait hours in the hopes that she could do the same for his friend, a dog who although seriously injured and missing a paw, proved too quick that day for the rescuer. Finally Anabel had to make the heartbreaking decision to take further steps to save the one dog who was now in her care and get him medical attention, life-saving attention now, and that meant leaving the other dog behind. Because he was so friendly she called the dog, now in her backseat, “Buddy.”

How could she know that this bag of bones, this walking skeleton, this wisp of a dog would survive? How could she know that this pathetic creature would capture the hearts of so many? How could she know that this crippled boy would not only live, but that he also would surpass everyone’s expectations? How could she know that this broken-down shell of what passed as someone’s pet, a lifetime before she saw him on the side of the interstate, would head out West to find his fortune and the love he so deserved? She couldn’t, she didn’t, she wouldn’t dare to dream any dreams for this creature, she only knew that afternoon that she had to do something, anything, and she knew that she had to save him.

Had Buddy known love in his life at one point only to cross paths with some “human” who had starved him of every kind of nourishment a body needs? ARNO will never know, but Buddy was ours now, he was ours to love, ours to care for, ours to weave hopes and dreams for and who could have known the dreams our Buddy would have? Who could have known that fairytales do sometimes come true? Who could have known that very soon Buddy would meet the love of his life, a very special man who would take this deserving dog into his heart, into his life, his home, his family. And into a world, a universe, that was light years away from the side of the interstate in Biloxi, Mississippi. Merrick “Rick” Morton fell for Buddy and like so many others, he fell hard and he fell fast… but Rick would be returning home soon, home to California because he had only been in New Orleans for a brief time on a film shoot. While in New Orleans, Rick crossed paths with Animal Rescue New Orleans, and the life-plans for a dog named Buddy were soon laid.

Rick officially introduced himself to all who volunteer at ARNO through his goodbye message, a bittersweet one he posted on our forum on March 5, 2007. Rick posted about being here as a professional still photographer and how after four months there was one thing that had the greatest impact upon him. It was his time spent volunteering with ARNO, and its feeding program, a program begun in direct response to the aftermath of Katrina and the thousands of animals that remained on the streets of New Orleans. In his final note to ARNO, Rick gave us all the most amazing news… he would be taking Buddy home. Biloxi Buddy was going to be making his final trip home to a new life, a life in Los Angeles, California. Tears of joy and tears of bittersweet happiness and tears of amazement were shared by all at ARNO. We loved Buddy, we loved him the moment we saw him, the moment we learned of Anabel’s rescue of this barely walking skeleton, the moment he gained his first ounce, his first pound, the moment he took his first walk on three legs. We so ached for that fourth leg, his hind leg, and we wondered if maybe he couldn’t have a wonderful life even with a lifeless, listless leg? We all said our private goodbyes to a dog who had captured our hearts, captured the spirit of just what we do here at ARNO and we hoped and prayed for the best. Our dream had come true for Buddy, and Buddy got more than any of us could have ever hoped for.

Click here to read more about Buddy’s life after his rescue and about his new life in California.

Photo taken by Merrick “Rick” Morton, used with permission of Animal Rescue New Orleans

Comments

Posted July 29, 2008, 3:52PM by ownedbypets

Good for Buddy! Thanks Rick!

Posted July 29, 2008, 9:21AM by timecaptured

I was at ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) when Buddy came in, and I truly thought he would not live through the night. He was taken to local vet who worked on him, and then said they had done all that they could since they truly thought he would not live through that night. He came back to ARNO and we all took turns talking to him and hugging him. He could barely raise his head and his eyes were so weary, but a day later, he was still there, and he began to rally. I was at ARNO to work on a story for a magazine, and this was my first glimpse into this amazing organization. I was so incredibly impressed with the love and care that Buddy, and all the animals in their care, received, and so I continued to come back to support this group. That first glimpse captured me and after many more trips to New Orleans to help, I finally decided to move to New Orleans permanently and I just arrived two days ago.

I may be prejudiced, but I believe that ARNO does phenomenal things; they do not just support the Buddy’s of the world who need love and care, but they also help and support the other animal rescues of the gulf coast, by sharing food and resources with them. From ARNO’s perspective, by working together, you can accomplish so much more. ARNO has become very involved in pet retention, which since Katrina has become a large issue; so many have lost their homes, are struggling financially and then find it difficult to keep their pets, and so ARNO helps by offering shelter for the animals if needed, or food or medical care, if that is their need. Depression became a significant issue in post Katrina New Orleans, and ARNO believes that keeping a pet can help with that issue; unconditional love from an animal can help someone who is struggling to make it through, and so we do whatever we can to keep that bond strong.

I had the pleasure of meeting Merrick and watched the bond that formed between he and Buddy, and I am so happy that Buddy found his forever home with him. Merrick has continued to help ARNO from afar since he too was touched by the dedication of this group, who three years later are still dealing with the aftereffects of Katrina. Know that the animals keep coming, the need is still strong for help, and ARNO does its best with little resources to give the animals still on the streets of New Orleans a chance to make a forever connection, like Buddy and Merrick did.

Laura Bergerol

Posted July 29, 2008, 3:18PM by bogiedew

Great story..Buddy is a beautiful dog. Thank you for not giving up on him!