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 sweet, crazy pup passed away almost 4 years ago now. i got her while visiting friends out west. i had flown out to portland, oregon to see some of my favorite people from college and while i was there, we realized my friend’s neighbor was abusing and neglecting some rottweiler puppies. the mama was chained up in the yard and the pups all had rubber bands on their tails, in various stages of infection. the lady planned on selling the puppies as rottweilers even though half of them looked like german shepherds. aiyaiyai. we took 4 of them to the vet, got them all fixed up, and i flew back to north carolina with an unexpected companion. i named her aisha and she was my travel buddy for 11 years 🙂
My buddy Anton was malnourished and quite sick when I adopted him. He was left on my old boss’s doorstep with a note from his owner that he couldn’t afford to take care of the wee one anymore. Though my boss couldn’t keep Anton, I didn’t want the little guy to end up not finding a home so after an impromptu play session w/ Anton, I took him to the vet to get checked out and taken care of (he had some medical issues) then off to my home. Though he died and I have still have two adopted lovies in my live, because Anton was sick when I found him to be part of my life, I think we always had an extra special relationship so when he passed I took it hard. He was my best friend for almost ten years. Here’s to furry friends that make it all worth while! Congrats on opening up your heart to Buddy. 🙂
Fur babies help us to slow down and be present in our lives. They also help us remember how to love unconditionally. As I type this my adopted kitty Lola sits on my lap. She greets me at the door each day, no matter how late I get home…and loves me endlessly. I love her too! Her sweet, sassy, funny personality brings joy to every day. Anyone who is on the fence about adopting…get off the fence and play in the yard with a fur baby. You and your family will never be the same!
He reminds me of the dog I grew up with. His name was Barney. Buddy is so sweet!
I haven’t adopted a dog. But I adopted my little boy Gabriel (now almost 12!) and what I love about ADOPTION that is different than something biologically connected to you (which I have too), is that it feels like it was MEANT TO BE. Not only was Buddy MEANT TO BE with you (and in turn you & your husband will RECEIVE something special from him that perhaps another dog would not be able to give)… but you & your husband are the right people for Buddy. You are MEANT TO BE with him.
Signed,
Living LIfe to the Fullest (with slow growing cancer) too 🙂
Dear Kris,
What a wonderful happening! Thanks for sharing your story of Buddy and the pictures along the way. It’s so neat to witness transformations of what love and food can do! 🙂
I found my Quin girl as a puppy abandoned by a stream, at a pulloff on a middle of nowhere gravel road that doubled, unfortunately, as a trash dump. I am an aquatic biologist and was out stream sampling that day when we found her. She was not very old. It was too far for her to have wandered there, and she was covered with fleas and ticks. I took her home, wrapped in a towel, of which she promptly climbed out and ended up hanging out on top of our gear in the back of our truck (covered top). Her sense of adventure and spunk was evident from the beginning!
She became (and is) a fantastic dog and very much is an outdoorsy girl. She is obsessed with water (I don’t know where she got that from ;)).
To this day, she has been an incredible blessing to me in so many unforeseen ways.
Geek moment: Her full name is Harlequin, Quin for short. We were out searching for the Harlequin Darter the day we found her. It is a rare, very beautiful darter fish of which we found in that stream (which was a good find). The fish is a lovely brown and tan, mottled and striped coloration. Quin initially was a mottled dark brown and tan coloration, of which turned into a gorgeous espresso colored coat today!
Thanks for reading my story!
I’ve enjoyed reading the other adoption stories here too, hurrah!
Sarah
Reading this, I think you would like the book Merle’s Door. Check it out 🙂 love your story
Thanks Vanessa! I put it on my list from the library to read. I appreciate the recommendation!
So happy for you and Buddy! I have been following on Instagram and it makes me smile when I see buddy. My kids love it too!
Oh, yay for Buddy!
Kris, I shared with you when we met last month.. We have an invisible sign above our farm, seen only by stray dogs and cats. It says, “welcome”.
My furry children are all rescues, or have been dumped on our farm. We support our local animal rescues, and I keep a leash in my car at all times. (my son loves our rescue missions when we spot strays) We’ve taken in wounded birds, and have picked up baby fawns and taken them to rehab centers.
It’s all good, blessing to you for taking more animals into your home!
My best tips; find an amazing pet sitter who loves them like you do, and change out your carpeting often. 🙂 Invest in a good vacuum, and non-toxic air freshener.
XO big hug!
Holli Thompson
9 years ago, I was nursing the heartbreaking loss of my 13-year-old Dalmatian, Roxxi, by fostering dogs through the Dalmation Rescue and the local animal shelter. Over the months, dozens of kittens & puppies came through our lives, as we nursed entire litters back to health and got them all adopted when they were 8-9 weeks old. Later on, we started fostering older dogs of 6 mos – 2 years, individually helping them overcome health and emotional obstacles of shyness, distrust, and separation anxiety. All the while, my 2 wonderful daughters and husband, along with neighbors, provided their love & support to all these 4-legged friends and watched their amazing transformation. After 2 years, I was given a 6 month old puppy who had been rescued from Tijuana – a scrawny, disheveled collie mix who had somehow survived distemper. When we picked her up, let’s just say she wasn’t the “prettiest gal in the shelter”, and although friendly to females, she had a fear and distrust of all men. Somehow we felt compelled to give this scrappy little dog a chance. Over the 3 months of rehabilitating her, she became a healthy, friendly, and loving gal – and we discovered that she was smart as a whip too! She wasn’t the pure-bred gorgeous specimen of a dog like my former Dalmatian, but she won over our hearts and we recognized that her beauty was much more than skin deep– we just could not let this little girl go! We ultimately adopted “Lindy” seven years ago, and we could not be happier. She has been such an amazing addition to our family – a kind, loving, obedient friend and faithful companion. We truly couldn’t ask for any better. We love her dearly, and every time we look at her, we don’t think so much of how we saved her…but how she saved us.
It was Thanksgiving weekend 2011. I’d convinced my husband our rescued Lola needed a brother or sister. I was convinced she was suffering a depression since we had to say good bye to our precious Riley a year before. He was our yellow lab who grew up with our children; played rescue dog 9-1-1 in the pool with them; fetched the morning paper…so many memories of Ry-pup…
We visited the shelter Thanksgiving weekend after seeing a few “lab like” pooches on the website. We were about ready to leave when I saw my husband playing “don’t blink” with a tiny dog in the medically fragile section. She ended up winking at him and that was the end. The staff got her out and let us play with her. She had just been spayed but was feeling pretty spunky and licked us clean! They required a play date with our other dog Lola which went well. It was just as I thought, Lola just sat there ignoring her. Then we took Sadie Mae home. Sadie is Lola’s very best girl friend now and for us, a ball of loving energy. She fetches, tries to catch a squirrel, does not like the pool and is our grandson Tristan’s very best friend. Most mornings she can be found nestled in the covers right between my husband and I with her head on a pillow.
10 years ago we moved from the city to the woods. While sitting the deck one evening, I heard a little meow…one kitten came out of the woods and crawled up on my left shoulder, purring and kneading!! Not far behind #2 came out. They were not hungry because they did not even finish the small can of salmon I put out(someone dropped them off). In the morning #3 showed her beautiful calico face.
I took them to the vet to get shots and get fixed. My husband never let me have a cat, so I am very happy that #1 and #2 are still here. #3 got sick and had to be put down a few years ago:(.
They have provided 10 years of furry love and #1 still likes to purr and knead on my left shoulder♥
While I’ve never taken an animal in off the street, my family has adopted all of our animals from rescues/shelters.
My big Siamese boy just passed away on Halloween morning. He’d been with me about half my life! My mom adopted him from the Texas Siamese Rescue and he became the family cat. He came to live with my boyfriend and me when my parents moved across the country. He worshiped my boyfriend (he loved me too, but my boyfriend was definitely his #1!) He would follow him around the apartment and be waiting at the door when he came home from work. I think he learned the sound of my boyfriend’s brakes and would stop whatever he was doing (napping) to run to the door! We sang nonsense songs to him and took more pictures of him than of ourselves. We’re both complete softies for animals and we have no regrets about the life we gave him.
After he passed, I started looking at kitties up for adoption through Petfinder.com. I never even considered anything other than adoption. We just adopted a Russian Blue kitten! I still miss my first cat, but I am so happy that we get to give this little guy a good life now. There are so many great cats (and dogs, etc) out there that need homes and I’m proud to be part of the cause 🙂
Yay! for Buddy. And you. We adopted a stray puppy that was part hound and part shepherd. We named him Mulligan – because he got a do over- and we had him for 17 years! Lost Mulligan a month before my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now, I am here with four crazy cats who showed up in the year after my husband’s death. You are so right. The Universe knows what you need and where your love is needed. Happy rescuing!
You are truly amazing, to be able to see past your own daily struggles to take on this beautiful little rag-a-muffin!!! You are truly blessed to have such a BIG heart and to help him, and in the process you discover he is helping you. I too went the rescue route after our first family dog crossed the rainbow bridge and he has been nothing but a big goof-ball, full of energy crazy guy. Rocky, is an Airedale Terrier (the king terrier), they are full of shenanigans
, loyal and love their families (whoever they associate in that pact). He came to us with digestive issues, but I already was cooking for our previous Airegirl (after we got into the Menu Foods dog food massive dog recall up here in Canada), so I knew that with some tweeking to our recipe I would get his tummy all right again. And now 4 years later, there have been no issues, he has not gained or lost any weight, poops are all good and he is full of energy. So from one fur-kid rescuer to another – THANK YOU!!!
In December of 2006, I was a preschool teacher and a college student. I decided that it was time to expand my family of one and wanted to adopt a dog from the local shelter. I was also trying to be strategic about it, and had the next two and a half weeks off of work and school for the Christmas holiday so we would have lots of time to bond! I knew, however, that I couldn’t just go there and choose because that would break my heart. So, I went online and a picture of this precious “puppy” with overgrown hair and a squishy looking nose popped up and I knew he was meant for me. It was a Thursday afternoon and I called them to find out what needed to be done. I needed to come in and sign the documents and pay the fee, then he would be neutered the following day and I could pick him up on Saturday.
I finally came to the realization that there was no way I could make it to the shelter before they closed that evening with Dallas traffic in my way, so I sadly realized that I would have to go tomorrow and that I wouldn’t be able to pick him up until Monday. Or so I thought…
When I arrived at the shelter the next day, the lady I had talked to on the phone was there and told me it was a good thing I had not come yesterday because “Riddles” (his behind bars name) got sick the night before, had been diagnosed with kennel cough, had been quarantined and was no longer up for adoption. I could not believe it! So, I asked if I could go see him and that was the beginning of several visits I made to the animal shelter over my holiday break. I laid on the floor, talked to him, petted him… and when I wasn’t there, I was calling to check on him. So, January came, and he was still locked up. I started back to school and back to work and FINALLY in the second week of January, I was notified that he was back up for adoption. So, I made my way to the shelter, filled out my paperwork, took flowers to the receptionist for putting up with me, and officially became a “Mom”. He was neutered the following day, and I got to take him home that Friday. “Tucker” and I got to spend the three day weekend together (for MLK day) where I potty trained him in the snow (in Dallas, TX – really?!). And we’ve been inseparable ever since. Later that year, we moved to Raleigh, NC and a few months later I met the man who would later become my husband at the dog park Tucker and I went to every night!
A year and a half ago, my husband and I adopted a little rescue hound pup named Ben. Ben was from Tennessee and had been abandoned with his brothers and sisters on the doorstep of an animal shelter worker’s home. Apparently this type of thing is rampant in these parts of the country, as dogs are bred for hunting and fighting. If they aren’t what the “breeder” wanted. They are abandoned. Ben was full of worms and parasites, malnourished and sick, with a hernia on his belly. I saw a pic of this little guy on the internet and immediately emailed it to my husband. Without even thinking twice, my husband reached out to the animal shelter and about 3 weeks later, little Ben made his first road trip from Tennessee to MN and into our hearts. We re-named him Angus (after Angus Young of AC/DC fame – because he’s our little rock star) and he has since made a full recovery. It was a long haul at first and he still has fears and phobias that our other pup never had, but Angus is our little angel and best friends with our other fur-baby Marley, and could not be more loved! Adopt a puppy, everyone! So much love is given and received right back. It changed my world.
I have adopted by two furbabies. First is Duke, my sweet old-soul border collie mix. He came from Georgia (I’m in Illinois) and showed definite signs that he was abused. He would hit the deck at loud noises, was a little leary of men and very timid. He is a LOVE though and just wants to cuddle and get face massages. We decided that Duke needed a buddy and someone to help him learn how to play with toys and bring him out of that shell! So we adopted Roscoe, a 3 month old Lab/Pit mix. His mom, when pregnant with his litter, was brought into Chicago Animal Care and Control. They were going to abort the litter and with minutes to spare, a pitbull resuce stepped in and took preggo mama home. And now we have a sweet, playful, CRAZY puppy! Good thing Duke is so laid-back cause Roscoe is a nutcase at times! But our plan worked and Duke now chews on nyla-bones, plays tug of war with Roscoe and will start a major play battle! He’s not the same dog we’ve adopted by anymeans! He’s still a sweet, loving, cuddly boy, but now has more confidence and playfulness.
We also were crazy enough to foster a sweet bulldog mix named Mork. Him and his preggo lady Mindy, were found locked in a crate in the woods in Indiana. Just like Roscoe’s mom, Mork and Mindy were brought to the local care and control and if they weren’t fostered out, they would have been put down. We stepped in with the foster home for Mork (Mindy found a foster home too)! We fostered him for about 6 months and then a friend adopted him. Good thing, because I love that little boy so much and I don’t think I couldn’t live without seeing him on occasion.
All three of these boys, over the last 4 1/2 years since we got Duke, have enriched my life like nothing else. Adopting is definitely the way to go, because as you said, they KNOW you’ve saved them and they spend the rest of their lives showing their love and appreciation to you.
Kris,
How lucky both you and Buddy are to have found one another! And what a wonderful story.
I have two adopted dachshunds and a rescued cat. My older dog, George, was put up for adoption because his previous owner was pregnant. I, however, think he was surrendered due to the fact that he had so many accidents in the house. As it turns out, the accidents were a result of seizures caused by thyroid disease. Two pills a day and no more accidents!
Our other dachshund, Oliver, had been abused and starved. He wasn’t quite emaciated like Buddy but very under weight. Oliver was so untrusting that he growled at us for six months. Although Oliver growled at us, he loved our dog George from the second they met (George didn’t return the feelings at first). We knew our love and George’s eventual acceptance would get Oliver through the transition of joining our family and boy did it! He’s a great dog! The kids get so angry with him because he won’t let them get more than 5 feet ahead of him on walks without getting upset.
Lastly, only a few weeks ago, a kitten appeared in our bushes. She was living between the bushes during the day time and the rear fender of our truck at night. I fed this little girl for weeks before she trusted me enough to pet her. I was finally able to get her inside just before bad weather here in Texas. She’s got a great personality too!
I really feel like I have a dog with a thyroid problem and dog that growled at me for six months for a reason. Many people would take the time to care for these precious animals but oh so many would not.
Thanks for saving Buddy!
Take care,
Regan
Your story (and all of your readers stories) is so inspiring. I grew up always having cats, a dog or both. I can’t have a pet right now because I move around too much but I sure love them. I have always loved visiting animals in shelters, and dreaming which one(s) would join me. Every times they get adopted it is bitter sweet. However, there are always more to visit and love! Some day I will have my own furry family memeber, until then, it’s great visiting them!
We adopted our cats from a shelter 12 years ago. We can’t imagine our lives without them!