Hi Darling,
The Carr-Fassett family has a lot to be grateful about. If you’ve been following our adventures on Facebook and Instagram (where I post most of my personal pix and lots of animal adoption updates) you know that we found a big ole blessing in the woods (with the help of some awesome New Yorkers!): A sweet, emaciated (35 pounds underweight), sick and struggling-to-stay-alive, hound dog who we named…Buddy!
After weeks of searching for his owner, making countless trips to the vet, nursing him back to health around the clock (how do you moms out there do it?!), and showering him with love, respect and compassion, it’s official—he’s doing great and we’re keeping him! He’s our soon-to-be-healthy boy now and we couldn’t be happier. Welcome sweet Buddy!
Today Buddy is quite the celebrity. Thousands of people from around the world have been praying for him and cheering him on (#gobuddygo). Folks have been logging into their social media accounts just for Buddy, especially on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
If you’re one of those people, I just want to take a moment to thank you. I know your love matters. It’s been part of his medicine and ours.
What’s more, I’ve read at least a dozen comments from people who went out and adopted a first or second fur-child. And countless others who have said, “now you’ve really got me thinking, I really want to adopt.” Booyah! Nothing makes me happier. I swear I’ve cried hundreds of heart-opening tears as I read all the love and possibilities. You all are so wonderful, yet another reason I have to be grateful.
When I first saw this skinny guy, I knew the road would be long.
And I heard the voices in my head: “Um, you don’t have time for this. He’s too sick. You’re already spread too thin. Lola doesn’t like to share. You travel too much. He’s bigger than your house. He’s a hunting dog, you eat plants!” Sound familiar? I bet you have practical voices that tell you not to do stuff you really want to do too.
Soon I came to understand that Buddy was my spiritual lesson.
I constantly talk about the importance of loving kindness—extended to all beings. How could I pick and choose when it’s convenient? How could I not take this guy into my life and heart. Brian felt the same way (thank the Gods!).
That was our rubber meets the road moment.
Who better than us to care for this guy? We have 16 acres of woods to explore, 6 of which are fully fenced in—crucial for Buddy’s built-in wanderlust. We work from home. We love animals. We want more joy in our lives. It quickly became a no-brainer.
As for Lola, she’s dealing and healing too. I think Buddy is the only brother she’d ever tolerate. Because he was so malnourished and wounded, she gave him space and reverence. Though she really doesn’t appreciate when he takes over her bed (that’s way too small for him), I think she likes to have a pal to trot around and explore with (which he is slowly starting to do). We’re doing our best to make her feel super special during this time. Translation: She’s getting chubby. “Hello piglet, enjoy it now cause it ain’t gonna last!”
After only a few days, Buddy is putting on weight—close to a pound a day. His coat gets shinier, his eyes get brighter and his tail wags more and more. He’s even starting to look our way when we call his name!
I wanted to express how lucky we feel to have the chance to make a difference in Buddy’s life.
If you decide to bring an animal into your home this holiday season, please consider adoption. So many beings suffer senselessly in shelters. Sadly, many of them die there, never knowing any kindness or cuddles. If you’ve got a rescued fur-baby, you know what I mean. You also understand that they know you saved them—it’s a bond like no other. And boy do they appreciate it.
Unconditional love heals.
Thanks for listening! He continues to heal. As do we.
There’s nothing better than happy trails and waggy endings!
Public Service Announcement: For all the hound dog lovers out there—consider a GPS collar. Hunting dogs and hounds are lead by their nose. They get lost easily and really need our help. Tragically, many hunting dogs go missing during hunting season, and others get left behind if they aren’t top performers.
Your turn: Share your adoption story in the comments below (and congrats to Lisa Henbest, my Crazy Sexy Kitchen contest winner!)
Peace & wags,
Blue and Riley are the two best dogs you will ever meet. We have 25 acres of land just 15 minutes from the city and they both just showed up there (seperately) while I was in highschool. In all likelihood they were dumped there. Both were males, muts and about 6 months old. Riley came first and admittedly we hesitated to take him in. We decided we would try to find a home for him but it soon became clear that Smiley Riley belonged with us. He was afraid to come into the house at first (we lured him in with bacon) and he has been the most loyal dog ever since. Blue came to us about a year later and this time there was no question what to do with our blue tongued, part chow new friend. That is after my mom rushed him to the vet because she was sure a blue tongue meant he was near death (he was just fine). Blue now follows my mom around all day and if anyone is standing still he takes that opportunity to sit on your feet or nuzzle you knees. He likes to be touching someone at all times. So Riley, part german shepard we think, gaurds the house and Blue keeps our feet warm. We have also placed two other dogs that have found their way to our farm, one with our cousins and one with our old neighbors and I can tell you from experience… there is no dog like a rescue dog!
I have three rescued cats and two rescued dogs at home. Most noteworthy are the stories of my Luna, she was recovered by police in a house drug raid at eight weeks old with a broken leg and cracked pelvis due to an untreated pit bull attack. She spent two months in a cast but is now three years old and thriving, although she is suspicious of people and dogs she doesn’t know. And the next noteworthy rescue is my little Jasper. The reincarnation of my canine soul mate Jack the beagle who passed away four years ago. After I adopted Luna I was financially and time constrained so I vowed no more adoptions. But then Jack came to me in a dream and when I reached for him he shrunk down to a tiny body. A week later a puppy that looked just like that tiny form from my dream was at the local SPCA. The name Jasper had been running around my mind since my dream and when I met him for the first time the shelter worker that handed him to me said, “his name was something different when he came in but I’ve been calling him Jasper”. I cried as soon as I saw him because I knew it was my sweet friend that had come through time and space to go around with me again. Thank you Universe for this gift. xo
First, sorry for my english, i’m french : ) My first dog died sudenly of cancer in august 2009. The emptyness he left sufucated me. 2 weeks later, i adopted my Zack (border collie) he was 3 month old. When we got im, he was scared of everything… Parked cars, furniture, doors, everything. We think he never got out of a cage for is fist 3 months. At 9 month, we got im fixed, at the same time, we asked the vet to check is hips cause he was limping. Bad news, he as severe hips displasia. We where prepared to operate him, but our vet said to reenforce his muscle firt. So we did some hydrotherapy in winter, wen to the lake in summer, gave im supplements. Today, he’s a healthy dog, physicaly and psychologicaly. We worked a lot with im to clear is fears. It’s always a work in progress, but he never keep suprising me. He’s my hero, makes me laught everyday, and we will do everything to keep im happy and healthy.
Beautifully written Kris! So happy to see Buddy’s progress! I am in the process of fostering a Chocolate Lab who is recuperating from being hit by a car. I’m hoping to meet her in a few days! As you said, I have enough to handle with one pup and a teenager, but now that I’m working from home most of the time, it’s a great opportunity to help a sweet wounded soul. Thanks for bringing attention to adopting homeless animals in such a lovely way! Happy Thanksgiving!
Your story makes me want to adopt another! My first dog is a Boxer, Apollo. I didn’t pay for him or technically adopt him, but I feel like I rescued him from this family I nannied for because they had no clue how to care for a litter of pups! Poor Apollo got bitten by a snake and had Demadex at only a few weeks old! He’s 5 now. We got our second dog, Ramsey- a Transylvanian Hound, from a shelter in January. When we first met him at the shelter, he was so scared. We didn’t have that moment of a connection like most people have when they pick out a dog. But there was no way we could meet this dog and then turn him away because of how his past has affected him. The energy between Apollo and Ramsey is what let us know it was the right decision. This poor guy was either abused and/or not exposed to anything that a house pet is exposed to. It took him several weeks to not hide under the deck or the kitchen table. Eye contact scared him. He learned so much from Apollo- like using stairs, playing with a ball.. everything! He still has some social issues but he will go up to strangers now and make eye contact. We spent the first month or so with feelings of frustration, sadness, and still a deep love to help this fur baby be successful in the world. Caring for a pup with behavioral issues like these is not easy with a deployed fiance and a full-time job, but it is so worth it when I see him now as a very playful, cuddly, and loving dog! It was the best decision we’ve made 🙂
Dear Kris,
One year ago we wanted to have a pet. Our daughters received two sweet kittens from a kind woman farmer when we were in holidays, but unfortunately we couldn’t keep them because of our house’s landlord. She forbidded us to take them home. So, the kids were so sad that we wanted to find fur friends for them! We searched in advertisement journal for Guinea pigs. A young man had rescued two brothers from the former owner that didn’t care about them. And he couldn’t keep them anymore (he had two rabbits, a dog and a cat at that moment). So we decided to adopt them instead to buy baby ones. We had already names for the kittens: “Bisou & Monchéri” (by the way they were French), we couldn’t name the new boys like that, so they are “BOMBO & MAMBO” :). It was not so easy at the beginning, they were afraid and quite shy but now they get well. Bombo will be operated next week because of a tumor, but I think he’ll fine soon! Thanks for sharing this kind of stories! 🙂 such a good idea!
Hi Kris,
I spent 6 months in India volunteering at an orphanage. Toward the end of my stay, I came a across an abandoned new born puppy smaller than my hand. He still had his dried up umbilical cord attached, but no family in sight. I got feeding tubes from the orphanage medical clinic and raw goats milk from the goat farm, and started to feed him. This amazing creature came to life. Never having any experience with hand raising puppies, I learned as I went and trusted my instincts. I made a story about my dog Kaalan and our journey here: http://www.backspac.es/r/z9pQnNAC0Z/my-pet-mushroom, please check it out!
It warms my heart to see you doing something similar with Buddy. I am really enjoying following his recovery! Sending you and your pups lots and lots of love.
Ali
Many years ago, my hubby brought home a beautiful, apricot Cocker Spaniel. Someone dumped her in the corn fields. It looked like she was used for breeding. She was our sweet, sweet Sandi. She is no longer with us. We lost her earlier this year to cancer. It was very hard on me and my three girls (15, 14, 8), especially my youngest who had always been with Sandi. Our latest adoption story is about my Laila, our lovable, faithful, but unsociable dog.
My 14 yr old daughter (which inherited my love of animals) and I were volunteering at the humane shelter in town. As we signed in, there was a note on the board to make sure and visit kennel N12. Hmmmm. We went straight to N12 to see this eight month, miniature yellow lab (mixed with Beagle) sleeping on a cot next to a huge care bear that was bigger than her. Her eyes told us she was scared. Her papers didn’t have any info on the family that previously had her. The new note said she needed lots of love and attention. So, we took her for a walk/run, fed her treats and just sat in the grass with her as she tried to lick us the whole time.
My daughter has always wanted a lab, but our house was too small so I had this brilliant idea. This was the perfect opportunity to get a mini yellow lab! What could go wrong? She loved us. I asked my hubby and he wasn’t too hip on the idea since he thought we volunteered at the shelter in order to adopt (not true!), but he gave his blessing. The very next day I took my other two daughters and we all met in the socializing room to make sure she got along with all of my girls. She loved us all!!!! She walked through the halls with no problems and was actually scared of the other dogs barking at her from behind the kennels. So, we adopted her. We had to wait for the paperwork to go through so we went shopping next door for her new items (collar, leash, bedding, brush and food) and named her Laila.
The car ride went well. We brought her home and she loved her bed. This was a piece of cake! She did well with our three cats. They showed her right away who was boss and she learned quickly. I wasn’t actually sure what the problem was and why she was at the kennel. Who wouldn’t love this beautiful and loving dog? Well, we soon found out. My hubby walked in from work and low and behold, she attacked him! She had this howl of a bark (Beagle bark), stayed next to us as her hair stood on end and nipped at my hubby’s legs to keep him away. He wasn’t very happy. Not happy at all. He told me to take the dog back and he was adamant about it. I told him how well she did with the girls and to give her time to acclimate to her new surroundings, but he said, no. I immediately called the shelter and talked to the director. She told me to bring Laila to have one of the volunteer men work with her. When I took her back there, she was like a Jekyll and Hyde! She had this hideous howl and bark and hated everyone there. He worked with her for a while, but it didn’t help. The director told me that she was just scared (it wasn’t aggression) so she suggested my hubby be the only one to feed her for a week and for him to work with her (getting down at level and speak in a loving tone). I told her he won’t do those things. I’m the animal lover here! He just tolerates them. My hubby gave me until Monday to take her back (it was the weekend). She loved us so much, but she really did not like my hubby and continued to try to nip him when he got too close to us. Somehow, she developed this sense that we were her pack and we needed protecting.
I couldn’t abandon her. I just couldn’t. He again said, no! So I pleaded, argued, pleaded and then argued again the whole weekend. By the second day, I couldn’t help it. I started to cry and told him I wasn’t taking her back and I stormed outside. Boy, it felt like that argument that whole weekend was the start of World War III and for a dog! After much emotion and discussion, I got to keep her! My hubby ended up feeding her for four days and Laila learned to trust and love him.
I wish I could say there was a perfect ending. There was a happy ending, but not a perfect one. It’s been two years and she still loves us and only one other person in our family, my oldest daughter. She worked with Laila, gave her treats and played fetch with her (Laila’s favorite game). It’s been a challenge when I have friends over since it takes time for Laila to bond. We also have to make sure she’s on a leash outside since she still likes to run and bark and keep people away. I just found a workaround Laila’s personality. She’s a sweetheart, loves my girls, loves to play fetch and actually, really loves my husband, but just doesn’t like other people! She’s still my sweet, loving Laila and she’s part of our family.
Last summer during a long weekend when most people are away we had a tornado storm. Coming a couple miles close, there was no major damage, in the cleanup a new friend found us. What we thought was about a year old retriever had made our yard its home. Calm, collected, and just wanting cuddles we thought maybe he ran away in the storm. He looked well taken care of except no collar or identifying tattoo. Since it was a weekend and everything was closed we were happy to take care of him, he seemed to make immediate friends with our hyper 5 year old sheppard. Thinking he was so well taken care of him someone must be missing him we called the local pound and gave a description and told them we would be happy to keep him and take care of him till then. Unfortunately due to law the moment we called they had to come pick him up. This trusting little man was being taken away and it broke our hearts to know he would be put in a kennel till someone came for him, when he had obviously picked us to keep him safe. We felt like we were betraying him. We stayed in contact with the pound and after 5 days he was sent to the SPCA, no one had come looking for him. Again we were told he had to stay there for two weeks in case someone claimed him and he went up on their website. We watched everyday hoping his family would come to find him. At the end they called and said he would be going up for adoption. With no questions asked we said we would take him in, with lots of farm land to run and already playmates, there was no hesitation. This little man now named Dax had picked our place to refuge we felt it was only the right choice to honor that.
Our adopted babies have brought only joy and love into our lives. We adopted Cody ten years ago, and he has been such a blessing. It wasn’t until I wrote a thank you note to the shelter letting them know of his progress that we found out that he was considered unadoptable. My note was published in the monthly newsletter as proof that a difficult dog can be a success story. We worked through his separation anxiety and wandering ways with patience. He has since learned to welcome two kitties into the family. Though moving, children leaving for college and divorce, he has remained a constant source of love, calm and peace. My heart swells with joy knowing that your family has this same kind of blessing. I know Buddy thanks you and will every day, forever.
I have been blessed with 9 cats in my life (not all at the same time!) and they have all been rescues. Some were from rescue organizations, one from the pound, one found on the street, a couple from people giving away litters at the market. No matter where they’re from, I so believe that rescued animals are so special. They show their gratitude by giving unconditional love.
I am a firm believer that our furry children come into our lives to teach us lessons. Here’s my story. The daughter of a friend of mine called me one night out of the blue. A friend of hers had picked adopted a black puppy when he was, let’s just say, a bit drunk. He still lived at home with his mom and she told him that the puppy could not stay and had to be brought back. The ride home for this puppy was three hours away. The young woman knew I had just said goodbye to my furry child about four months earlier and that is way she called me. Would I be interested in taking this little puppy into my home. I jumped into my car and drove over to her house. The puppy was adorable, but he was black. Why was that an issue for me? I had been severely attacked by a black dog which traumatized me. I was always nervous around black dogs. One look at this little puppy and the look on the young man’s face, I knew, this little puppy would end up on the side of the road somehwere. I took him. He was so small, he fit into my hand and his eyes were open but you could tell he couldn’t really see images clearly. I worked for a large company and knew I could find this little guy a home. Well, after just a week with him, he found his forever home – with us.
We named him Kola, which means “friend.” Kola helped me overcome my fear of black dogs and brought so much love, joy, and happiness to our lives. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but we continue to bring furry children into our lives. We curently have a rescued mixed breed that we adopted from a kill shelter in South Carolina and have brought my mother’s little dog into our pack as she could longer care for him. Our lives have been so enriched with our furry kids and we are thankful to share their lives and have them in our lives.
Congratulations to Buddy for finding his path to you, and to you and your family for the love and nurturing you have given Buddy. Enjoy the love, adventures and joy!
Volunteering at your local animal shelter is a great way to give back to the community and help your furry friends. Shelters in your area may desperate for humans to help, so I highly recommend inquiring as it will be the best decision you’ll ever make — the rewards are plentiful!
– Ali
I had a similar experience almost exactly a year ago! I had always had cats growing up – but for the past five years or so our house had been animal free. One Sunday morning, we saw an article about a local animal shelter doing a “Black Cat Friday” and featured in the article was this beautiful tuxedo cat, with this little stripe down her nose, named Chelsea. She had been brought into the shelter, as a 7 week old kitten, in 2008 and had lived her entire life in the shelter. Reading the story brought tears to my eyes – no animal should have to spend their entire life in a shelter – no matter how good that shelter may be. We ran down the next day and I absolutely feel in love with her.
Since she had been in the shelter for so long, it took her a little longer than normal to adjust but I worked with her, every night, for over a month and slowly but surely, she became more and more confident. Now, almost a year later, I’m so proud of how far she’s come. She is one of the sweetest cats that I’ve ever had the privilege of loving and being loved by.
A couple of months after I adopted Chelsea, I started volunteering at the shelter. They had done such an amazing job of taking care of her for all those years, that I wanted to do the same to help other cats. Shortly after, this little scared cat was brought in and I felt an instant bond with her – her name was Callie. A few months later, someone came in and wanted to adopt her out into a barn and I fought for her because I knew that she deserved a happy, loving home – she was no barn cat. During the process, I got a few grey hairs but in May of last year, my little Callie came home with me and now her and Chelsea are the best of friends.
You don’t realize how much joy an animal brings into a house until you’ve gone so long without one. The light and love they bring into the household – it’s just the most amazing feeling – and I’m a strong believer that shelter pets are some of the most loving animals that you’ll ever have. Some of them have been through so much, yet they still find it within themselves to share their unconditional love.
I was not a dog person. I thought they were smelly, loud & too licky. Then we adopted Stitch (my husband travels & I needed something to keep me company). I fell in LOVE with that little dog! (we think he is a min pin mix) I now accept kisses all over my face, we cuddle, I plan my weekends around when I can take him to the park! After we had him for a year, we decided he needed a sister. We found Lilo at the same shelter we adopted Stitch from. She is the perfect addition to our family. She’s been a little more work (we think she had a rough time while on the streets) But it’s been wonderful to see her open up and begin to trust us. She is the perfect little sister to Stitch, steals his toys, then licks his face with love. My husband will just laugh at me and remind of the time when I said I wasn’t a dog person. In the summer I get up at 6am so they can play at the park before it gets hot (we live in Phx). My two little furbabies have really changed my life. It’s amazing how much love you can have for an animal, and the happiness they bring to your life.
I have adopted 3 dogs in my adult life. Right now we have an 11-year-ish old corgi mix we rescued after our 14-year-old dog died from cancer. After we lost our dog, I went to the local shelter to drop off some food and supplies we had. I saw a 10-year-old dog there who looked so sad and resembled the dog we had lost. At that time I had a 3-year-old and 5-year-old and was thinking I shouldn’t take on a dog. But this guy was 10 years old, I thought, how much work could he be? Turned out he was a very energetic dog who wanted to play ball all the time and he also was a fearful biter who had obviously been abused in his life. I was devastated thinking we’d have to return him, but with training he has become the sweetest dog in the world. We got a friend for him a year later, a mom rescued from a puppy mill. He is so sweet to her and they love to play together. I work from home also and these 2 are my constant companions now that both of my kids are in school. I love to adopt, especially older dogs.
Buddy truly is a lucky dog. And thank you for adopting a rescue dog Kris. I too have a rescue dog named Molly. Molly was found wondering the roads with her hair long and matted. She even had a sucker stuck in her fur. They people that found her tried to find her owners but her collar just said Molly and no owners name. I was the super lucky one that adopted her and she has been the blessing in my life. I have had Molly for almost three years now and she is the best dog ever. I really think rescue dogs know how special they are and they love the owners that rescued them so much. I know my Molly does. She shows me every day.
Jake was adopted almost 14 years ago. He is my best friend. He has seen me through my father and mother’s passing. My children growing up and leaving home. It just wouldn’t be home with out him. He brings an energy to our home that wouldn’t be there without him. Thanks for letting me share, Pris
When I was just out of high school I adopted a dog. His name was Honey. He was a cute cuddly, mixed breed and was adorable. Almost like a border collie, shepherd golden retriever type mix. Really super cute, regardless. He slept with one of my cats, which was like the icing on the cake for me. My cat Hobbes and he became quick best friends, it was true happiness. Honey was one of those sweet, grateful loving dogs that deserved a good life. No matter what was going on as soon as he saw me he would just get so happy. Nothing compares to that warm fuzzy feeling he exuded. I swear he knew it was me who rescued him. He was the best dog ever, rest his precious soul. Because of Honey, I have adopted and encourage others to adopt as well.
Almost 3 years ago, my sister nephew and I went to a no-kill shelter with the idea to each adopt a cat. There were hundreds of cats in this shelter and being among them was overwhelming. how could you ever pick one when they ALL need a home? I stepped outside the “cat room” feeling defeated. Walking through aisle of caged cats one glanced up and looked me in the eye. A lovely tabby with bright green eyes. I asked to hold her and she settled in to my chest still looking up at me. I said, “This one” and brought her home. She has never let me hold her like that again! But every morning she curls in to my side resting her head in my hand and purrs so loudly it still makes me tear up. She’s my girl.