I’m an animal warden and come in contact with many animals and situations. Believe me I have many stories, both happy and sad / tragic. The anger and frustration in this job dealing with a cold and uneducated public and legal system is almost enough to call it quits. I believe for some reason God gave me this mission and I can’t let him down..

But now to my story; Back in 1995 I was called to a busy intersection where a dog was out in traffic. I arrived and found a medium sized dog in the middle of the road, with traffic moving in both directions. I worked my way to him only to realize I forgot my leash in my haste. I picked the fuzzy 60-pound shepherd mix up and worked my way back to my truck. I took him to the impound kennels and put him in a run. As I turned to exit I felt a sharp nip on the back of my leg. I thought ‘this is the thanks I get for saving your behind until I turned and saw his face. It is hard to describe but it had a look of happy, lonely, and sadness all at the same time. I remember telling him “don’t worry buddy your people will certainly be looking for you”.
Well the holding period came and went with this great dog being left to be put down, as the shelters were full at that time.

I remember taking him home to my house I was renting (that didn’t allow dogs) and told my wife this ones not going to be put down, I will find it a home. It became obvious that “buddy” had indeed found a home. My wife and I decided the time was right to go ahead and buy that first home that we had been hesitating on and so we did.

I’ll skip trying to describe what a wonderful, loving, obedient friend Buddy was to my family for the next fourteen years because I would run out of words.

The time came where the old guy just couldn’t get up anymore.

I took him back to the impound facility from which this journey began and held him in his last moments.

I felt silly walking out of there, a grown man in a uniform that deals with this stuff daily, crying like a baby.

I know now that it wasn’t noble of me to adopt buddy but the other way around!

– Dan from Genoa, IL