OUR FEATURED DOG FOR THE HOLIDAYS The following is a true story regarding Buddy, one of the dogs from our shelter. The names in the original article were changed to preserve privacy. "Buddy had never known what it was like to have a family-to belong to someone. He had grown up in the pound and when an animal rescue group was formed in Dalhart, he was transferred to their care. Since he was no longer a cute, cuddly puppy, he was less likely to find a home, but fate had other plans. One afternoon someone picked Buddy out of the crowd and loaded him into a car. He watched his kennel mates disappear in the distance. Buddy's new home was in the country and his mistress, Margaret, was a quiet, soft spoken lady in her seventies. Her family had decided that she needed a companion, but she was less than thrilled to see the dog. This was the second time a pet-a dog- had been fostered upon her and the first one hadn't worked out too well. She put the dog in her large back yard and set out food and water. For his part, Buddy thought he had died and gone to heaven. He loved the grass and would run the length of the yard before zipping back the other direction. When he soon became bored with this game he looked for other distractions. Margaret came home one afternoon to find her garden hose in shreds. The crime was repeated the next day. She was so angry at first that she called the animal rescue with the intent of sending Buddy back. At the urging of her family she opened the gate to her yard, encouraging him to go with her and gave him another chance. That was all Buddy needed. The place became his own. He never strayed or ran away, and when Margaret would go outside to do her gardening, Buddy always went with her. He liked the sound of her voice when she talked to him. She brought him a couple of toys and he stopped chewing up her hoses. They became best friends. One evening Margaret was finishing up some chores in her back yard when she noticed some trash behind the air conditioning unit. When she bent down to pick it up, she lost her balance and fell, somehow wedging her head between the unit and the brick side of her house. She fell at an awkward angle and could not get a hold of anything to right herself. Immediately Buddy sprang into action. He ran to the front door and began to bark furiously. Margaret's husband, Ben, went to the door because it was unusual for Buddy to bark. The dog loved everyone. He would not make a good watchdog. As he stepped out onto the porch, Buddy began to spin around, still barking. Then he trotted to the end of the porch, looking back over his shoulder at Ben. Seeing that Ben had not followed him, Buddy ran back to Ben and barked again before once more trotting across the porch. This time he kept going, toward the back yard and this time Ben followed. Ben found his wife and helped her back into the house. She turned out to be fine and Buddy turned out to be a hero. If he hadn't gone for help, Margaret could have been in real trouble. Margaret never leaves now without Buddy by her side. She thinks he is the best dog in the world and wouldn't dream of giving him up. How many more Buddys are there, waiting for the right home-the right chance?" Buddy is a beautiful Golden Retriever/Collie mix. He is about 2 to 3 years old. He was adopted in August 2003 and was returned to us, December 4, 2004. Margaret had put in a pond and was afraid Buddy would bother her ducks so she brought him back. As she handed the chain to me, she reminded me Buddy had saved her life. She then got in her nice car and drove away, as Buddy watched with his sad eyes, trying to figure out what had happened. Buddy needs a forever home where people will love him. Can you help give Buddy a home for the holidays??? A home for ever???