A Labrador retriever, who had been discovered in shock on Peavine Road in Tate County near Memphis, Tennessee on April 22, had been set on fire, and his face was a blackened mess. Just days later, the Tate County’s Sheriff’s Office released a statement that a child under the age of 12 had purposely set Buddy on fire, but no criminal charges could be pursued because of his age.
The child confessed to Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance he had tied the dog named Buddy up using an electrical cord around his neck and set the dog on fire.
The Tunica Humane Society stepped up and offered to help Buddy, knowing that the dog’s recovery would be extremely expensive and exhausting. His prognosis at the time was not known. Because of the severity of his injuries, Buddy spent months at Mississippi State being treated for his critical injuries. In addition, Buddy spent nearly four months in total darkness as bandages over his face protected his wounds. In August, the bandages on the dog’s face and eyes were removed; the sweet dog was once again able to see, but his healing still had months to go. For seven months, Buddy has been healing.
And now the best news of all – Buddy is ready to be adopted, but his new family must be very careful since he is still healing and will need constant care.
According to Tunica Humane Society, Buddy’s new family should be in the mid-south so the dog can be near Mississippi State for continued treatment. He would be do best with a family with older children who can give him lots of attention. Buddy’s foster parents describe him as big, strong and very energetic. He loves to take long walks and does very well on a leash. He also loves to ride in the car. He would do best with a very active family that can give him all the attention he craves. Right now, the rescuers feel he would do best as an only dog until he is completely healed; possibly adding another dog to his family down the road. Buddy has learned some basic commands. He will play fetch until the sun goes down. He loves his ball and carries it everywhere he goes. He is food motivated and easy to train. He is your typical loving Lab.
“Because the skin grafts that were applied to his face are still fragile, Buddy wears an e-collar for protection most of the time. There is a small area about an inch wide between his eyes that is being very stubborn about healing. It requires a bandage for protection and must be re-applied every few days. This is a minor thing and could be done by your local veterinarian working closely with Dr. Swanson. We feel it is in Buddy’s best interest to place him with a family here in the Mid-South, so that MSU would be close by if ever needed. Buddy has been in a foster home the last few weeks while we started his heartworm treatment. He gets his second injection next week and will need another 4 weeks of quiet activity.”
Interested in adopting Buddy? Please email [email protected] or [email protected]. More information about adoptions can be found here.
Read previous coverage about Buddy’s story, please click here.
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