By Janet McAfee
The German Shepherds are the most intelligent and confident of breeds, loyal to a fault. They are working dogs, dogs who seek a purpose and a task, which might simply be protecting and loving their humans. They guide the disabled, protect our troops in battle, and will lay down their lives for their families. In return, they need lots of attention and mental stimulation to keep happy.
Sadly, some of these magnificent Shepherds end up in public shelters, and sometimes the confinement of a kennel proves too much for their active nature. They end up being euthanized for lack of space. A 4-year-old German Shepherd named Bud narrowly escaped that fate. Now he needs your help to get him to a new home.
It was a brutally hot summer day in June, 2016, when a San Bernardino man discovered the German Shepherd huddled in the bushes in his yard. He was desperately seeking shelter from the blistering heat. The man opened the gate to his back yard, and the dog gratefully entered, drinking over a gallon of water and eagerly downing some food. The man noted a rope deeply embedded in the dog’s neck, evidence of mistreatment and confinement.
After two days of trying to find the dog’s owner, the man took him to the San Bernardino City Shelter, checking in frequently to see if an owner or adopter would surface. However, this public shelter is located in a low income neighborhood on a dead end street, and no one came for Bud. Eventually the shelter staff advised Bud’s finder that Bud was on the euthanasia list through no fault of his own.
Bud almost became another sad statistic among the millions of animals killed in our public shelters, beautiful creatures whose only crime is not having a home. The man contacted Colton City Councilman and animal advocate, David Toro, and pleaded with him to rescue Bud. The David Toro Foundation sponsored Bud, took him to the vet to be neutered and treated for the horrid wounds on his neck.
A foster home was located, but the foster dad is now awaiting surgery, and Bud’s situation is once again tenuous. He needs a “forever” home as soon as possible. The world has not been kind to Bud thus far, but he will be forever grateful if given a second chance. He is in Colton, about 45 minutes down the 10 freeway from Palm Springs.
BUD PREFERS MEN! During his assessment in foster care, it was learned that he prefers men. I suspect Bud was mistreated by a woman or several women. Dogs can’t speak to tell us their stories, but they reveal themselves in other ways. Bud is a very high energy, large size dog at 80 pounds, and needs a home with indoor/outdoor access. David Toro took him to a trainer who determined Bud is extremely intelligent and quickly learned basic commands. With additional training, he will make a fabulous best “furfriend”.
Bud deserves a home where he can be part of the family. He deserves a home where he will never be tied up on a chain or rope in a back yard. Dogs are social creatures and crave love and attention from their humans. In return, Bud promises to be your new best buddy, your loving companion, your comforter when you are sad, and celebrate with you when you are joyful.
Contact (909) 996-7807 to schedule a meet and greet with Bud. He will do best in a home with men. He is a high energy animal, and needs a home with a fenced in yard. Equally important, he needs a home with humans who will let him live inside and share their lives. For information about the David Toro Foundation or to make a donation towards the care of homeless animals go to www.davidtoro.com.
Jmcafee7@verizon.net
