A tribute to Buddy, my boy

Ally Snyder
Jan 25, 2022
3 min read

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself," - Josh Billings

Even though Buddy left me months ago, I haven't been able to write about it as it hurt me to much. I never thought of the day I'd have to see him go. I thought he was going to come with me when I moved out after I graduated high school. He was my dog, and I was his girl.

This is the first picture I took of Buddy, when I first got him sometime in October of 2021. My dad and my cousin were coming back home from being out all day, and I noticed I black shape in the with them. It had been cold ad rainy all day, and when my dad opened the door, Buddy had jumped out, cold and wet. Buddy had belonged to my dad's friend before he came to us. Apparently, Buddy had been acting up at his previous home, chewing up doorways and pooping in the house. So my dad's friend was tired of him and left him for two days outside in the cold rain and my dad brung him home. Instantly, I dried him off and took him inside and allowed him to drink and eat. I showed his a tennis ball and he sniffed at it and carried it in his mouth That night, Buddy slept in my room, and I knew that he slept the best he'd ever slept.

Me and Buddy's bond

Buddy seemed to be fond of me the most,because he slept with me, went outside with me, and I was the one that made sure he was fed, let out, watered, and I was the one to bathe him. But me and his bond was what would come to be the end of him.

Buddy's separation anxiety

It didn't take long for all of us to realize that Buddy has separation anxiety. He'd chew on walls, urinate and defecate in the floors, and when we left him in my room, he chewed right through the drywall to get into the garage. We tried to house him in a dog crate, but he chewed right though it like a beaver. We left him outside on a chain, and he'd tear the gutters off the house. Buddy didn't like to be alone.

The talk

I found out that Buddy would be leaving us, most likely for his own good. He needed a home that had people with him all the time, such as an eldery couple or a large family that always had people home. Buddy was also good with cats and other dogs. I didn't want my boy to leave. He was my dog and I didn't want my dog to leave me. I guess I was greedy and didn't want anyone to enjoy the comfort of my dog. We had other options besides giving him away, but my family didn't seem to want any of that. We could have a professional trainer come and work with him. We could hire a dog sitter. We could even get prescribed medicine that would calm him down. But my family didn't want that. I guess they wanted to make me hurt. And they succeeded.

The last night

The night before Buddy left, I could tell he knew something was wrong because he whined at the bathroom door when I went to take a shower. Usually, he'd just lay by it silently. After that, I'd take him for his nightly walk and I covered him up with his favorite blanket and I let him kiss my guinea pig goodnight. Buddy snored that night, I still remember what it sounded like.

Goodbye, Buddy

The ultimate decision was that Buddy would be going to the local prison, where he was originally trained. He'd stay at the prison forever, because there were always people there. Buddy went to the bus stop with us, and I sat in the back with him, my arm draped around his black shoulders. He gave me a lick. And when I excited the van, I gave him three kisses on the head. And I never saw him again.

The aftermath

My bed still feels empty, even though it's been about two months since he left. But I know he's doing okay, hanging out with all those people. I wonder if he misses me as much I miss him. I got to keep his name-tag, but that doesn't fill the hole in my heart. I'm sorry I couldn't do you better, Buddy. You definitely didn't deserve this and I am sorry.