In late May, the Humane Society of Lebanon County (HSLC) in Pennsylvania received an urgent call from local police and fire rescue about a dog in a storm drain. The dog appeared to be dead at first, but as the drain grate was removed, he slowly lifted his head.

A volunteer and a staff member went to the scene right away, knowing that medical care would most likely be required; it was a devastating sight. The thin dog had curled up into a ball and was clearly near death.

The puppy was gently rescued, loaded and taken to an emergency veterinarian for rapid medical attention. The dog’s owner was quickly located; Buddy, the 15-year-old dog, had been missing for three weeks.

“We made attempts to reunite Buddy with his owner after returning to the HSLC. We tried repeatedly. Since Buddy and gaining what he needs are the story’s main focus, we won’t go into too much detail.

Buddy received three days of emergency life-saving care. His condition slowly began to improve. And, certainly, Buddy has made tremendous improvement, but he is an elderly man with follow-up medical appointments, ultrasounds, x-rays, and an ophthalmologist appointment. Furthermore, Buddy’s age prevents him from being drugged, so finding a caring and patient foster home would be the best option. The shelter will continue to pay for all of his medical care, as well as his food and vitamins.

Buddy does not seem to mind cats and performs best with calmer canines.

“The world is full with negativity, grief, and occurrences that we don’t quite grasp. Please focus on kindness, support, and healing and let’s find Buddy a foster! “The journey continues…for buddy.”