Burned Up Buck

by Tim & Katie Kahler
(Rural Nebraska)

Hello, I am a newlywed. My husband and I have both grown up with dogs. Both of our families adopted our dogs from our local shelter. So about 3 months after we married and we moved into our own home we decided to check the local shelter for a small "pretty" dog. I wanted something cute I could show off. Well the shelter had mostly big dogs and one little rat terrier. My husband instantly noticed him and some bandages on his back. I didnt really look. I wanted a yorkie. My husband and I went home without a dog and a little discouraged.
We gave the shelter a call just to let them know what we were looking for and to call us right away if that happened to show up. But my husband wanted to know more about the little rat terrier. So we asked. The lady told us that he had belonged to an old man and woman since we was a few months old. He was now two years old and the woman died and the mans family moved him to a different town with them however they decided not to take his dog. So the dropped him off. This did not suprise us as this happens a lot in our little town.
But what the lady said next about Buck really touched our heart. The old man and woman had got him from a puppy farm. Sadly just 5 weeks after Buck was born the kennel where he and his mother and siblings were sleeping started on fire from a fan. Only 3 of the puppies survived. Buck being one of them. Sadly a few weeks after the fire all of the puppies except Buck died. Because of the fire he was left with severe scars. His ears are about an inch too short, he has some small scars on the top of his head and on the back of his neck and a huge spot on his back. The lady at the shelter said that the old man and woman took good care of him and he was very loving. That his scars were healed and the reason he had a bandage on his back was because a branch on the morning walk caught him. He likes to explore.
After hearing this story from the lady my husband and I were both in tears and told her we would like to meet him. So we drove back to the shelter that evening and played with him. It was love at second sight. He was so small and so loving. The lady let us take him for a short walk to talk and 5 mins later my husband and I knew that he was for us.
We were so anxious to get him home but since he had just been brought to the shelter they wanted to have him checked out by the vet and to neuter him before we got to adopt him. So a few LONG days later we brought our little fighter home.
He loves his new house and back yard that is medium sized and fenced in. He even gets to chase a few bunnies that somehow sneak under the fence.
Even though he is not the "pretty" dog we....I wanted at first, we can not imagine our lives without him.


Editor's note: Wow - that's an amazing story and we're so glad there are people like you who give dogs a second (or third) chance!