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,
My husband and I adopted out first baby from a shelter and just recently adopted our second from a rescue group! Our first baby wasn’t very happy about having to share but after a few tense weeks of working with them they are now happy siblings! Thank you for spreading your story and inspiring more people to adopt! My next journey will be fostering!
we adopted an Istrian hound, Walle, a few years ago from a local shelter. I don’t specifically recall requesting to see him up close; but, within seconds he was in my arms and our bond was already formed. I placed him in my car and then went about the task of informing my husband we have a new family member. Prior to adoption, Walle was extremely abused and underweight. He bounced back within 6 mos and is happy and healthy. Hounds are magical animals that have such big hearts. Enjoy your new friend. I look forward to watching his transformation. You’re blessed to have found one another.
we rescued a red-nosed pitbull + some sort of lab cross from a litter of 12 unwanted pups. He was the alpha, which I didn’t want. My plea was for a kinder, gentler one or the runt. My fear was speaking to me—don’t get the alpha, it’s a bully breed, he’ll be hard to train and manage, blah, blah, blah. Well I did not get my way as my husband and son both wanted little alpha boy. 6 years later, Boomer is mommy’s baby and is truly the biggest snuggle buddy and most gentle companion I can imagine. Of course, it’s not the dog, or the breed, it’s all about the owner and how they are raised. One less pitbull in a shelter and one more pitbull ambassador. My fears were replaced with love and understanding. Congratulations on finding Buddy, you need him as much as he needs you and your life has been changed forever <3
When my daughte, the lover of all things four footed and furry, was thirteen she begged. Begged us for a dog of her own. Begged is too pale of a word to actually describe. She harassed. And prayed. And was relentless. We caved and then came the search process. Where does this dog of her own come from? A few weeks into our search the answer came large as life. My daughters piano teacher had found a stray dog in the woods. He was the tallest skinniest tentative black lab mix you would ever see. After the search was given up to find his owner. Buddy the black lab had a new home and a new best friends my daughter. He slept with her. Did I mention he was the tallest black lab we’d ever seen. And was not as skinny after a few weeks at our house. Buddy was always attached at the hip to the people in his life from that moment on. It was as if he was saying I do t ever want to be lost and alone again. If you let Buddy out he would not go off the porch unless you stood there and watched him. Wherever my daughter was there Buddy was for 4 years. And then one summer my daughter went away for a couple weeks to Barcelona on a mission trip. While she was gone I noticed Buddy had gotten really skinny really fast and was not eating so I took him to the vet who said Buddy had liver cancer. Devastated did not describe the feeling of watching Buddy deteriorate in front of my eyes. Of course the doctor suggested relieving Buddy of his pain. But how could we do that with his best friend out of the country. So we waited. And he waited. Just like with everything else Buddy did not want to pass alone. He waited till his best friend arrived home. Waited until our whole family was surrounding him one night and with all of us there petting and holding him he quietly slipped away. It was one of the saddest days of our lives. And he was one of the best dogs we have ever had. It was like he was ever grateful to us for taking him in and we were ever grateful to him for loving us. I hope your Buddy gives you as many happy memories and love as ours did.
I have a huge soft spot for hound dogs and Buddy is magnificent! Thank you for opening your heart and home to him! My rescue story is about a little kitty that came into our lives when we were just thinking about having a baby. She was homeless and frightened. We fed her and with time and patience she eventually started to trust us. Buster made us realize how much room we had in our hearts and home for so much more!! She lived with us for almost 20 years.
My dogs have literally changed my life for the better. I adopted the first one, Bubbas, in the fall of 2010. I had moved out of my soon-to-be-ex’s house. He helprd me make it thru an incredibly difficult recovery period – dealing w melanoma and a pending divorce. He is still to this day the only male, other than family members who has never let me down. He can sense when I’m hurt or sad, and tries to do what he can to make me happy.
My 2nd dog, Rory, was adopted.in Mtarch 2013. She is goofy and always makes me laugh. She is a year and Bubbas is 4. Best puppies ever!
Allyson
We have two fur babies Daisee & Lucee. Daisee found my husband Paul at our local convenience store & followed him to a house he was working in. When the end of the day came Paul couldn’t stand the thought of leaving this poor girl so he brought her home. I was dealing with the death of my grandmother & believe Daisee was the cure to my depression. She is a corgen (corgi/golden) with the sweetest disposition. Three years later when Daisee’s feline buddy, Darcee (my grandmother’s cat whom we adopted when she passed) died unexpectedly Daisee was very lonely. We had lost our 3 felines all within a years time so the house had become very quiet. Into our hearts came Lucee from a shelter that was at a PetSmart adoption day. I fell in love immediately & brought Paul by later to see her. She had a brother Paul hated leaving but we had to draw the line somewhere! Lucee is the yang to Daisee’s ying! She is 95% jack Russell with a lil lab and bulldog mixed in. Plus she is a hermaphodite…born w male & female parts, spayed & neutered! Lucee loves cuddling with Daisee and Daisee has come to tolerate it, like a big brother tolerates a lil sister (I know!). They are best playmates & take care of each other. They bring joy, comedy, love & chaos to this otherwise quiet life we lead. Definitely have changed our lives!
First, I want to say Congratulations on your newest member of your family! Joy is bursting out of my heart for Your family and the ahh-mazing outcome finding Buddy has show us all….Now, to my story of Cleo. I was mourning the loss of my 14 year old Cocker Spaniel “Charlie”, who has passed away May 15th 2012. He had been my constant companion through a very tough time in my life. The unconditional Love that I received from him was a priceless gift that I will never forget. He was so special to me I couldn’t bear the idea of replacing him too soon! I told myself I would wait to get another dog for a year, so I could travel and not have the responsibility and worry that goes along with being a parent to a four legged child. I am single and never had the gift of having my own children…Well darn if every night I would come home to an empty house and look at Dog Rescue websites looking for my next furry friend. I would cry myself to sleep missing my boy and wondering if I could possible wait a whole year before bringing in a pet that needs a good loving home….So two months to the day of Charlie’s crossing over I saw a notice from the San Diego Humane Society that they were putting 60 plus dogs up for adoption the next morning. These dogs were part of a Pet Store Sting bust and been kept at the SDHS for the past three months. Finally, the courts had formally charged the man responsible for animal neglect and that put the Dogs in the ownership of the SDHS. Well, in my mind I was going to go find and adopt another Cocker spaniel because every Pet Store that I had ever been in always had them…I prayed on my there to unite me with my next companion. I was in a full sweat worried I would do the wrong thing and regret it after word. I got there and took a number because it was first come, first to pick. I was #72 :/ and I thought OK, I am here and I will see how this plays out I got chance to see the dogs that where ready to find their new home. The look in the eyes of these pets just broke my heart. The tears streamed down my face uncontrollably! The folks there must have thought I was a nut. I didn’t not see any Cockers and my heart sank a bit…Just when I was ready to give up, I made eye contact with Cleo! 🙂 <3 She is an Akita! yikes…not a cocker by any means. I loved her instantly and whispered in her ear that I would love to be her Mom if she thought she would want that! After, being at the shelter for what seems to be hours, I asked one of the volunteers what number where they on? She said 26…Oh boy this would be a long day of waiting and possible heart break at the end. So, I left and went home. Crying the whole way and talking to Charlie and asked him to guide me. If Cleo was to come home with me.. so be it! My phone rang about 45 minutes after returning home. I was trolling the Cocker Spaniel rescue web sites with tears streaming down my eyes. I answered and the gal asked if I was still there, replied no, she said well if you want to come back you will be first to pick and they still had lots of dogs to adopt out. I headed back, walked in and the gal helping said "we still have the female Akita, if that is a dog you could handle" My heart jumped and I just couldn't believe it! Because Akita's are a very strong willed breed and are on the high risk. I had to meet with a animal trainer/behaviorist to determine if I could handle this dog or not! I am not a timid women and have always had a special connection to animals. I knew I could take care of her, but i had to prove myself to them. I was nervous, but just sat down on the floor and they brought Cleo in. She was so scared and I could tell nervous as well. Pretty quickly, she came to me and laid down next to me, put her paw on my lap and started to lick my hands and feet. The Trainer said with a big smile I think you found your next dog! I just say…she is a love bug and so so sweet! Everyone loves Cleo and she loves everyone. I know this was a bit long of a story… Cleo was and is worth it. Thank you Kris for always sharing your soul with us! You a so inspiring and full of light! Namaste Sweet lovely lady!!! And YAHOO for Buddy's recovery!!!
I have two rescued dogs sleeping beside me right now. After many years of the “ski bum”/raft guide seasonal lifestyle, I settled in one place and decided it was finally time to adopt a dog. Saphira (formerly Hannah) was surrendered to a high-kill shelter in southern CA because she was pregnant. Many groups in UT drive to CA to bring dogs to other shelters where they’ll have a better chance of being adopted. We adopted her the same day her last puppy was adopted and she has brought nothing but happiness and joy! I go back and forth wanting to hug or shake the people/person who surrendered her because I can’t imagine not having her in my life. Two years later, we decided it was time to start fostering and helping more animals get out of the shelter. Our foster was Princess, an 8 year old pit bull who was hit by a car before being surrendered to the shelter and sweet as can be! After several adoption events and realizing many people’s disinterest in senior dogs, we realized she was where she needed to live out the rest of her years. Elder dogs are such great companions: they love to cuddle, are grateful for short walks, and are incredibly eager to please after who knows what kind of life they had before. Thank you, Kris, for saving Lola and bringing awareness back in Crazy Sexy Diet and for all you’re doing with Buddy. So many shelter dogs will benefit from your advocating for adoption.
My husband and I had just recently lost our cat to a bladder disorder. He was our first baby so we took it pretty hard. I always love going to the shelter and just looking. It wasn’t even 2 weeks after we put our cat down that I couldn’t take the loneliness so we decided to just go and “look”! Well my husband fell in love with a little female Russian Blue. We took her to the quiet room and played. It was a done deal but I didn’t feel quite ready for a new kitten so we left. Not an hour later we went back and adopted her. We named her Milla (pronounced Mee-Lah) Blue, named after the actress Milla Jovovich and Blue for Ruasian Blue. We always say we are so happy that we saved her, but in reality she saved us!
My son is an only child and we thought having a dog would be great company. We went to our local SPCA and adopted a black lab mix. He was found on the side of the road in New Jersey so they named him Jersey. He was shy and afraid at first but soon came to trust us. I am not the animal lover of my family ( we always joke with my mother that we wanted to be reincarnated as one of her animals because she loved them so!) BUT THIS DOG STOLE MY HEART!! Sadly we had to put Jersey down 3 years ago after 13 wonderful loving years. Our son now 21 and at college thinks it is time again to make a trip to the SPCA. Something we plan to do after the holidays. Thank you for helping us remember that wonderful experience!
We rescued our German shepherd mix 11 years ago when he was about 3 months old. He was picked up by animal control in a small town near us dragging a rope collar behind him. His owners refused to pay the fine for not having him registered so left him for animal control to take care of. The town would not take him to the local Humane Society because he had nipped at some kids who were hitting him with a stick and decided to euthanize him. Luckily my mother had heard his story and told us. We immediately decided that we would take him. We named him Chance and he has been such a wonderful companion. So sweet with our children, other dog and two cats. I cannot imagine our lives without him.
My boyfriend and I decided we wanted to add some life and joy to our apartment and decided to adopt a cat. We went to the ASPCA in our neighborhood, and looked at all the lovely furry souls, even played with a few, but weren’t sure if we were connecting with any of them in particular.
When we walked into the final kitty habitat, though, an amazing thing happened. A sizable tuxedo cat flumped down in front of me bearing his belly and looking at me from his upside down head. As I scratched him, he stretched out further and luxuriated in the lovin’. I said to my boyfriend “I think we found him!”
“Not so fast,” he says. I look and see that he is crouched in front of an even bigger tabby cat, rolling on his back and purring as my beau scritched and scratched his little head.
Oh no. Now what? We’d only considered having one cat. But we had each instantly fallen in love with 2 cats. We asked the ASPCA volunteer about each of these furry boys. Turns out they were a bonded pair, and could only be taken together. And the beauty of the ASPCA is that they only charge the adoption fee for one of the cats to make it easier for people (like us) to decide to take both boys home. Which we did. Two loves for the price of one!
30lbs of cat later we have much more life and joy in the apartment than we even first imagined. YAY!
Well, it’s not really an adoption story, but my own rescue. Over the years, animals generally find me, and I always help them whether they are wild or domestic…. But this one I found. I grew up on a farm when I was younger and I played outside almost everyday. One spring, I was quadding around and had the urge to stop at an abandoned chicken coup. When I walked in, all I heard were faint little meows of a barely 10 day old kitten with his eyes still closed. When I found him, I quickly put him in my shirt to keep him warm and safe. His tiny little claws scratched me as he looked for food, any food. I quickly rode the quad home knowing that I was going to hand feed this kitten. Once I came in, we (my mother and I) started trying to feed him… He was sooo hungry it was very difficult. But then, the most amazing part happened. Our own cat had recently given birth, she heard his meows and came to the kitchen. She immediately layer down and we placed him with her. She knew he wasn’t his, but she adopted him, and my baby kitty was part of our family. He was ours for 18 years… That’s impressive on a farm, but all six of our kitties lived at least that long. And whenever we would take him to the vets, they were always surprised at how gentle and loving he was, they would always nick name him ‘baby’… Because he was, my baby!
We live in an area where people hunt deer with dogs like your Buddy. Over the years we have adopted several emaciated walker hounds that were left behind. They are the most endearing, loving dogs we’ve ever encountered. Our last living walker hound is Joe, and Joe has been with us for ten years. Watch out though, they’re excellent at scaling all fences to go hunting. After spending many all nighters wandering through the cane fields looking for Joe with flashlights, we finally had to put a special collar on him that buzzes him (it doesn’t hurt) if he tries to cross the fence, and he doesn’t go too close to the fence anymore.
We adopted our second dog Sammy, a Yorkie/Lhasa Apso cross, from a rescue organization just one year ago. The rescue organization had gotten him out of a kill shelter, where he was destined to be put down for being aggressive. I think the fact that he was little and cute was the only thing enabled him to keep being given second chances. After bouncing around several foster homes, we agreed to adopt him. I don’t know what went on in this little guy’s life previously, but he wouldn’t leave his food dish, for fear you’d take it from him, and he would flinch if you raised a foot near him or brought out the broom. Well, one year later, he’s a cuddly little muffin who has calmed down like you wouldn’t believe. The year has definitely not been easy (I have the bite marks on my hand to prove it!) but he’s taught me a great deal about patience and persistence (lessons I truly need in my life right now as I’m dealing with physical health problems) and our two dogs have been the brightest part of many of my days. Our first dog was not at all keen on having Sammy around to begin with – he needed his space! But we soon realized that the separation anxiety he used to have when we left the house completely disappeared. And now they cuddle up together on the couch all the time. Rescuing has really been a blessing for our whole family.
My little guy came into my life quite unexpectedly. I had just a few months before said good-bye to my sweet dog of 17 years and didn’t think I could do that again. So, I decided to foster and volunteer at the local rescue. Well, you know how that goes. I took my little energetic spunky guy home and brought him to adoption events. When someone showed interest in adopting him I realized I couldn’t let him go. We’d already bonded and I felt I could provide a better home for him, so 2 years later it feels like it was meant to be. He’s the joy of my life!
Nearly 12 years ago, when I was a teenager and still living at home with my mother, I witnessed a cat fight between two cats in front of our house. It was scary to see and I chased the cats off to separate them. A few days later, I was surprised when I went out onto our fenced-in patio to see one of the cats from the cat fight, a small black cat, asleep on one of our chairs. She eyed me up and ran off, and I noticed how skinny and rough she looked. We had never been allowed pets in our home growing up, but I always had a very soft spot for animals. I left some food and water outside in case she came back, which she did within hours. Over the course of the next few weeks, I continued to feed her and she began to trust me little by little, as she stopped by at the same time every day. Eventually she set up shop in our patio, and was there during most of every day. She would run over to visit when I came outside, sitting in my lap and purring up a storm. I spent many hours outside with her, cuddling and chatting with her. We lived near Chicago, and the winter months were fast approaching. I was worried about “Kitty”, as I called her. My mother has told me in no uncertain terms that I would not be bringing this cat inside, so I had better not name her, to keep myself from getting too attached. I built her a little cat house out of wood, waterproofed it, and filled it with blankets to give her shelter and help keep her warm. She stayed in there 24/7 throughout the beginning of a particularly frigid winter. Eventually, other neighborhood cats began to catch on, and during a particularly bad snow storm, I watched helplessly as Kitty had to defend her little house from another big stray cat. It was the final straw for me, and even my mother couldn’t stand to see her struggle and agreed to give her a chance. I opened the door and called for her. She ran right inside, and she has been mine ever since. I took her to the vet, cleaned her up, and we started our new adventure together. Kitty is perfectly happy to be a spoiled, indoor cat, and even now, twelve years later, she doesn’t like to go outside. I think she knows she’s got it good! And I know I do too. There is nothing quite like the love of an animal.
Growing up, we had house full of animals. 3 dogs, 3 cats, a rabbit, two parakeets, a snake, 7 parrots, hamsters and fish. Early on, my mom instilled the love all things in both my brother and I. We’d put out cat food for the stray cats. And I will never forget the look on my father’s face when I brought home a stray doberman. My mom called me the “Animal Whisperer”. Animals loved me. And I, them.
But, I never considered adopting. I confess, right after I got married, my husband and I bought a Chocolate Lab from a Pet store. But, several years ago, my attitude towards pet stores and adopting changed.
Our local animal shelter needed an extra set of hands on the weekends. Cleaning kennels, walking dogs, and as I would soon discover, walking dogs to the back of the shelter where they would be loaded up into a van an taken to the Vet’s office to be put to sleep. Some days, I would see 5 or 6 dogs and cats taken away. Nothing wrong with them, they just took up space. It broke my heart. If I could, I’d have taken them all home.
One afternoon, a mix breed dog came in. The owners were surrendering her . They said they just didn’t want her any more, and they had decided that they weren’t dog people. I could see the look of disdain on the animal control officers face as he handed over the paperwork. He handed me the leash and told me to take him to an empty kennel. 7 days past, no one wanted this dog. Each day, people would come to look at the animals, sometimes taking a dog home. This dog would sit at her kennel door, her eyes sad. On the 8th day, it was time to send her to the vet. Her time was up. She was medically sound, but was about to be killed because her owners just “weren’t dog people.” As I loaded her onto the van, I broke down in tears. I told the driver to wait and I called my husband. He knows me. He knows that I have this desire to save every animal I can. And, thankfully, he understood my desire that day. In 15 minutes, he was at the shelter with my wallet and the adoption fee. We adopted Hazel two years ago. She has become a huge part of my family. She loves my children and other animals. (and like my husband, accepts the numerous strays that come to live here briefly while on their way to their fur-ever home).
Had I not spent my weekends in that shelter, I never would have met Hazel. Nor would I have gotten into rescue. I volunteer with several different organizations in the area, hold food and toy drives, and open my home to strays and shelter animals who need a safe place while on their way to their fur ever home.
hi kris,
I love to see people that are involved with a healthly way of eating and nourishing the body and mind . We love our dogs as well we have 2Great Prynees . Rosco el magnifico ,Guinevere of the birch . Well stay healthy and keep doing great work to inspire people . I am waiting for a free book from you …:). Love Nettie Pelc . I am a Certified raw food chef .got certified from Cousins in Chicago il , 8 yrs ago . I do host some gatherings to help people see a better way . Well just stopped in to say hi ….