IN MY LIFE- BUD

This Saturday marks 4 years since my dog Buddy has been with me. It's his "Adoptive-versary." Since he is a rescue dog no one is really sure when his birthday is. After I got him I took him to the vet for a check-up. They surmised, by his teeth, that he was two.  So, the Saturday after Labor Day is celebrated as Bud's birthday as well.

I never had a rescue before. A month earlier, my friend of 13 1/2 Living alone. having a dog is good company and it's also good to have a watchdog around.

At first I didn't want another dog. No one could replace Lou. A one-of-a-kind pooch. But co-workers encouraged me to look, and to even consider another Pekingese like Lou. Pekes are smart and affectionate, plus I need a small dog in a small house and yard.

I checked out the local shelters and the S.P.C.A.  Couldn't find the right fit. So a friend suggested I check online.

I looked at a pet adoption agency based in Birmingham, Alabama. I found Bud on their website. Only he wasn't Bud back then- he was Mr. Muyagi, from the movie "The Karate Kid."

I was hesitant to get a rescue. I knew I would be saving a life and giving a homeless dog a forever home. But I wanted to meet the dog first. What if we didn't get along?  So, I kept looking locally.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget the little brown and black peke I saw on the adoption site. "A true gentleman" is how they described him.

So, I took a chance. I filled out the application for adoption. I gave them references. it was like adopting a kid. Background checks, calling my vet- a lot goes into the process.

In the end I was granted custody of Bud. The check cleared ( I did some research to make sure the agency was legit) and we made the arrangements to transport Bud up north to Pennsylvania.

The agency brings a load of adopted animals north once a month. I had to meet them in a Pet Smart parking lot near Yardley, Pa. I remember having butterflies in my stomach the earlier September morning, waiting for the white box van to arrive at precisely 8:25 a.m.

A few animals in, out came Mr Muyagi on a leash. Meeting him for the first time, he sniffed my wheelchair and promptly peed on the left back wheel. Guess he was marking his territory? Nice to meet you too!

Bud was house-trained from the start, a big plus. He was already fixed and had his shots. I got him groomed and he looked much better.

One of the first things I did was change his name. I couldn't pronounce his name, and since I was told he wasn't used to it yet, I decided to call him Buddy instead ( Bud or Bud-Bud for short). He seemed to like it.

At first Bud would try to bolt out the front door when I went to work. A few times he did get out, running around the street, oblivious to cars, the neighbors helping me chase him down. Did he want to go home to sweet Alabama? wasn't he happy with me?

Another thing I noticed in the first week was his tendency to dig thru the trash . I'm thinking he may have searched for food on the streets down south. No one knows if he was abused or abandoned, where he lived or who he lived with.

Bud and I kept each other warm-literally- during the big ice storm that winter. I lost power and heat for 4 days. Poor bud. Several nights into the chill, he was laying on the foot of my bed, shivering violently. I was afraid he was going to die. He couldn't be used to such frigid temperatures in Alabama.

So I bundled him up in a warm blanket and held him all night long. We survived.

Like any dog, Bud has his unique personality and quirks. I taught him how to shake hands like Lou. I spoiled him with tons of toys, both new and leftovers from Lou. The word for food was "pa-poo", a Slovak term my mom used to say to all of our pets. And after liking to lay in my bedroom closet on the floor, I made a little private apartment for him, a place where he could get away beneath my clothes in a over-sized, soft doggie bed.

He was king and pampered but he had a right to be after a hard early life. The thought of Bud being in a small cage mots of his life made me sick.

I later found out that Bud was literally only days away from being put down. Down south, unwanted animals are so prevalent that if he didn't find a home within a certain amount of time Bud was a goner. Didn't matter he was just two or the fact he had not done anything wrong. That was life.

Funny how life works out. I find Bud on a whim after almost giving up on looking. Bud travels over a thousand miles to meet me. I take a chance and because I did, I saved a soul.

But it's totally fair to say that we saved each other. Not just  during that initial icy  winter, but forever. Bud saved me from loneliness and made me smile again. And on Saturday we celebrate being together 4 years, celebrate Bud turning 6, and most of all, celebrate our lives, once in chaos, now  happy because we found each other.