Would you lay on the ground, daily for three weeks, in the winter risking pneumonia to earn the trust of a homeless dog? Alice did! She’s a Creswell resident who has loved animals since her birth 83 years ago. When she heard of a dog who had been wandering the streets in Cottage Grove, for over a year, looking for food scraps, she took action.
Why “Buddy” was homeless remains a mystery. Some residents think that his owner died, leaving his best friend to roam, fend for himself and sleep under “their” home. Was it loyalty or grief that kept Buddy faithful to the empty house?
Kind neighbors fed the skittish Border Collie before a determined Alice set her sights on rescuing him. She drove the eight miles to town and sat on a pillow for 1½ hours twice a day.
“I was there in all kinds of weather,” said Alice. “Many kind people stopped and asked if I was okay. Some said the dog would follow my car for a block watching me drive away. I drove down in the ‘big snow storm of 2019' to make sure he was all right. I cut up a hot dog, placed it beside me on a plate and lay on my side in the snow. Over three weeks, he timidly checked me out, sniffed my hand, and let me pet his forehead. One day he lay down beside me and stretched out his
back legs. I called him, ‘Buddy’.”
Alice was becoming discouraged about ever catching the skittish canine.
“One rainy-cold morning I prayed to the guy upstairs and said, ‘What this dog has endured is terrible. I don’t know how he is going to survive. You have to help me.’”
An hour later, she had a collar and leash on the K9. He escorted her to the car, jumped in and sat down on the passenger seat like her best friend. Had he been led by God or the Angels?
“In relief, I phoned my housemate, Joy, bawling like a baby,” admitted Alice. “I drove him home and sat with him in the laundry room because we were not sure how he would react to our four cats and “Tiny” Chihuahua. The next day he was groomed and transformed into a beautiful-happy Border Collie!”
Buddy loves his foster family. Every morning he awakes and washes Tiny’s face, is gentle with the kitties and sticks to Alice like a furry shadow. As close as their bond is, Alice’s love for Buddy is bigger. It is beyond her ability to physically and financially care for a young dog and she realizes that he has a greater mission in life.
“This gentle dog is remarkable,” said Joy, “He’s intelligent and would make a great therapy dog, because he runs up to check on Alice every time she coughs or sneezes. Even in the car he jumps up from the back seat and puts his head between the two front seats to assess her if he hears a peep out of her.”
He recently illustrated his skills when Alice was pet sitting. She and Buddy took a short walk with an elderly dog who has a heart murmur. The old canine passed out and Buddy quickly bent over it and did Doggy CPR. He licked the white whiskered face until it regained consciousness and stood up. The recovered elder K9 walked back to his house with his “Buddy” right by his side.
Knowing Buddy’s gift, the ladies found Ravengate Border Collie Rescue who have adopted him and are giving him the therapy training he needs to help others. The rescue group are well aware of his Border Collies traits and re-fur to them as the most intelligent dog breed. These alert, affectionate dogs have a high energy level and are devoted to their family. They are workaholics who thrive on learning new things. Thankfully, Buddy’s story has a happy ending. He’s going to live on ten
acres with a life purpose.
Facebook reader, Jim, was following Buddy’s rescue on “What’s Up in Cottage Grove”. He wrote, “I’m impressed with how many people expressed concern regarding this dog’s plight. Over the last year, I have walked, biked or driven by him several times a week.
He was always skittish. It is good to see him smiling in his recent photo, and know that his tramping and loneliness are over.”
