Budley frantically searches for his missing Veteran.

A late night 911 call resulted in paramedics rushing my walking buddy, Tony, to the ER where he underwent three surgeries saving his life.

Tony’s text to me at 3 a.m. was complete with photographic proof, “Please let my dog, Budley, out when you wake up.”

I arrived at the house, opened the door and the dog exploded out crying. Budley was describing in the most heart-wrenching whines and vocals that strangers had come into his home, taken his Tony away and he was worried sick!

I walked the dog to the door where he raced to ‘his’ car and frantically jumped up onto it and peered into the driver’s window to see if his Tony was inside.

Tony’s family could not keep the dog, so I went to the dog park trying to find a foster parent that loved Golden Retrievers.  It was a hot day, and the park was empty.

Desperate, I phoned Newsie, a woman whom we had met ‘twice’ at the dog park and in the vein of research asked her, “What are good boarding kennels and bad ones?” After our first meeting I had featured Newsie and her dog, Buttons, in the Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales newspaper article, ‘Button’s ‘Newsie’. We barely knew each other, but after her article, I thought she might have some good insights on kennels.

I asked Newsie if she knew anything about local pet boarding kennels.  Without hesitation and without being asked, she volunteered, “I’ll take him”.

This stranger enthusiastically jumped in knowing that she may have to keep this large, eight-year-old retriever for months, hoping he would blend with her Buttons, insisting on caring for him.
                                
Three weeks later, after Tony’s hospital recovery, I contacted Portland, Oregon’s KGW8 TV station and asked if they wanted to do a story on a veteran’s love of his pet, the act of kindness of a stranger, and of course an amazing, exuberant homecoming for both.

Also, I had a deeper motive than their fame. This was a teachable moment explained in the Tip’s section.

Having a companion pet means the world to many people. While in the hospital Tony kept saying, “I missed my dog more than anything in the world.”

Newsie admitted many times during her time with Budley, “I am going to miss having Budley, but he misses Tony so much that he still jumps up on every car we pass to see if Tony is in it!”

Next week’s Tips and Tales will share their homecoming and the TV station’s link to view the loving moment.

"I sure missed my best buddy!" said Tony. "I threatened to walk out of the hospital because they would not let him in to see me. Dogs are the best medicine there is!!!!"