Buddy's Story: A Novel Based on a True Story of a Homeless Dog

By Karlam Chow

Buddy is born in Santa Barbara but as a puppy is given to a family who is unfit to care for him. Buddy has a big heart and is optimistic that someone will want him. He is smart and determined. Neverthless, he ends up in a kennel at the Humane Society. A woman named Lydia adopts him. She is the love of Buddy's life. However, sadly, Lydia dies and Buddy once more becomes homeless,-- a dog's worst nightmare. Buddy experiences more uncaring owners and spends more time in a kennel for dogs without homes. Finally, Karen, a dog lover, takes him in and gives him a loving home until she can find a good new owner, always willing to take him back if things don't work out. Buddy's story is poignant and emotional, and there are hidden jewels within that will belong to those who read it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781626757752

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AUTHOR

I’m Born

Chapter 1

Welcome To The World Of Happy Puppies

I was born during late spring in Santa Barbara, California, which is a beautiful city by the Pacific Ocean with mountain views, lots of grand looking palm trees around, and a warm climate that allows colorful flowers to grow all year round.

When I came into this world as a newborn puppy with my eyes closed shut. I couldn’t open them for two weeks. Also, I couldn’t hear for four weeks. When I was able to see and hear, my first awareness of life was hearing a loving human family—they didn’t look like me, my mother, or my siblings—looking down at me saying, How cute, how cute! as I looked up into their sweet smiling faces. I felt welcome to the world.

My owner, Larry, is a good man, and so are his wife, Betty, and two teenage daughters, Stella and Patti. We live in a large comfortable house, and we all sleep in the bedroom on the family beds. The most wonderful thing is the big backyard that looks like paradise. There is a lovely bridge and fountain surrounded by trees and flowers, exhibiting how beautiful nature is. We can run as much as we like, and what fun we had.

Our mother, Arron, gave birth to us when she was already eight years old. We were her first and last litter. She is a beautiful, sweet and quiet girl, and she has the most tender voice when she barks, it would sound like she is singing us a lovely lullaby. She is smaller then the rest of us, and is our owner’s favorite girl.

Even before my eyes opened I could feel the gentle warming rays of the sun, and my mother’s loving, licking caresses and reassurance that this was a good new world of love and wonder. The soft furry warmth of my littermates enveloped me, and all hunger and thirst never lasted long as mother was always there. During those first days, it was a magical world filled with many wonderful loving feelings and light, dreams and imagination. It felt like unconditional and unending love, and I had so many ideas I could never have guessed what life was going to bring my way.

Our father, Guinness, belonged to another family in Pasadena, California. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to see each other, even though it’s only a few hours away, which saddened our little hearts. It always seemed unfair that our family members were apart. I believed our father felt sorry too, as he didn’t even know what his children looked like. It seems humans don’t think about such things. My brother Tyler looked just like our handsome father. It was mother who told us.

I had three brothers and only one sister, but one of the brothers died right after he came into the world. It was sad. I could feel my mother cry for a while. I crawled close to her, and licked the tears from her eyes, kissed her gently, and told her I loved her. After some time passed, time healed some of mother’s grief, and she was very busy raising and nursing us to thriving health, and she slowly recovered from her sorrow. It took some time, but day-by-day the joy mother felt from her puppies restored her happiness. We all had a wonderful time together under mother’s loving care and sweet milk We also felt the owners love; but four puppies were more than our owner could care for and they could only keep one of us. I wonder who will be the lucky one in the family, and staying with dear mother.

•

LEAVING THE NEST

When we were about ten weeks old the rest of us had to start going away to new homes one-by-one. It was really painful for us to be without each other and to leave our loving home, especially as we were only puppies and we needed our mother’s sweet milk, care, and love. I just don’t know why our dear owner couldn’t keep us all together. Why did he let each of us go by ourselves to a stranger’s home and not stay with our own family, and only keep one of us, for our mother?

Also, we didn’t know where we were going and what kind of new owner we would have. Anyway, we have to be with strangers and face the future even though we were still only puppies. Sadly, from then on everything is different for us and all the good times we use to have were gone. My brother, Nick, was the first one who left. His new owner was a student of Betty’s, and I didn’t feel too bad as long as he was still in Santa Barbara. Maybe one lovely day we’ll both have a big happy surprise and see each other again somewhere, and I hope it won’t be only in my dreams.

Nick and I look very much alike. We have the same kind of face, and the same color of fur. The only difference is his size, as he is a little smaller than me. Actually, I’m the large one in the family. My sister, Anacapa, was the next to go. She went to a female singer who stayed with her boyfriend back and forth between Los Angeles and Canada. So it is even harder for us to see each other anymore. She is a beauty, and she has soft fur and her face looks just like mine. She smiles most of the time and her smile is as sweet as candy. I love her and loved to play with her. But where is she now? Is she happy with her new owner? I wonder if she likes the way she always goes back and forth from home to home? Does she still remember and think about us, and miss the times we use to spend together when we were puppies? There are a lot of questions on my mind.

Another brother, Tyler, is the luckiest one in the family. He is a handsome boy with pretty gold curly hair and his ears are much longer than mine. He is the only one who stayed with mother and Larry’s family during this period of time. The reason they kept him was because he constantly wagged his tail and ran to Larry’s daughter Patti. Tyler was smarter than me. How come I didn’t do that? I should have wagged my tail and run to Larry, and then maybe they would have kept both of us. I wish I was like Tyler, but now it’s too late. I guess I’m the unlucky one in the whole family, what can I say?

If time could be turned back four and a half years ago when we were puppies, playing together in Larry’s backyard with our dear mother close by, it would be heavenly! And let me pray to God to bless our beloved sister Anacapa, and brother Nick, as I hope they are in good hands and as happy as can be.

Now it looks like I have been fooling around for the last four and a half years, always changing new owners again and again. What’s the matter? Is something wrong with me or with the owners? Anyway, life still has to go on, for better or worse, either good or bad.

Here’s what happened to me. When I was only a ten-week old puppy, after Nick and Anacapa had gone to new homes, one horrible day it was my time to go. The hard part was leaving my mother and having to go with somebody I don’t know. Maybe they were nice people, but to me they were strangers. My heart hurt and I had tears in my eyes. I didn’t want my mother to see them and break her heart even more. She already lost her only daughter and two sons in a short time and now I’m leaving. I knew it was too much for her to bear.

First, I had to go with a couple of young people who had an old dog at home. They brought me home as a puppy to replace him when he’s gone. I’m very sad and my heart was crying. As I left our sweet home, my mother’s tears dripped down to her chin. She looked at me sadly and said, My dear baby it’s time for you to leave now. Be a strong, good, gentle, kind, well- mannered boy. Love your new owner, and please do what they ask of you. Listen to everything they say to you, never learn the bad ways. Remember I will miss you and love you with my whole heart. You will be in all my prayers. May God be with you always.

She held me tightly for a while, and kissed me once more. Her arms were warm and her licks were sweet. I can never forget that moment and every word she said to me. I’m so afraid I may never see my mother again. My heart was breaking. I raised my head towards heaven and prayed to God that I would one day see my mom again!

•

PUPPY LIFE IN A SMALL CRATE

My new owners seemed to like me, but they were busy at work and didn’t have much time for me. Sometimes they didn’t pay any attention to me, and the old dog is just too old to move around much and too tired to play.

Strangely enough, they had a big yard but I didn’t get to use or enjoy it. They let me live in a small crate for most of the time during my puppy life. I