Buck's Story

Buck, aka Buckaroo, was an owner surrender at the shelter a few months ago. I got the infamous call from Penny to go check him out. She told me he was a tri color and I expected a nice looking dog. But when I got to the shelter, my breath was taken away by his stunning good looks. He was wagging his tail and looked so happy to see me from behind the cage of his kennel. I took him for a short evaluation walk, then called Penny and let her know he was coming home with me. We were able to get some history on him from his former owners. He came from a breeder in Dallas and would be 2 years old in April. He liked to chase cows and play ball. They turned him in because he had nipped at a neighbor and were afraid of any legal issues that might come up because of it. We knew he was just being a border collie--those herding instincts run deep!

After getting home that day, it took Buck less than hour to steal my heart. He didn't leave my side. When I went to the sink to wash dishes, Buck went with me. When I went into the garage to get something out of the car, Buck went with me. When I put the laundry in the dryer, Buck was there to supervise. When I watched TV, Buck was at my feet. If I ever got annoyed with his constant attention, I would remind myself that his other family had taken him to the shelter and walked away. I wanted him to know that I would never leave him like that so I let him be my shadow.

Did I mention that he liked playing ball?? Wow!! His face would light up when I got the ball out. We spent many an afternoon playing ball together in the front yard or at the dog park. A toy or a Frisbee wouldn't do. The ball was his favorite toy.

After he was posted for adoption a couple of families were interested in adopting him. I talked to both of them, and while they were good people, I knew they weren't the forever family Buck needed. So I continued to wait for the right home for him. During that time, Buck's appetite changed. He no longer ate as enthusiastically as before. So my boyfriend and I set out on a mission to find food that he would eat. He was excited about canned food for a few days and we breathed a sigh of relief. But eventually even that didn't interest him. I could tell he was losing weight fast. But I still hoped that his appetite would pick back up soon.

This past weekend Buck's condition seemed to get worse. Last night, we made chicken and rice for him hoping he would eat. He did and we were so relieved. I was still worried so I made an appointment to have him checked out today. I was supposed to take him in at 3, but I called around noon to see if I could come in earlier. Something wasn't right. After taking blood, Dr. Martin discovered that Buck had an incurable congenital liver condition. We then had to make the heart wrenching decision--we had to let Buck go. I held him and kissed him as he died today. He felt my love til the end.

So long, sweet Buckaroo. I know there's and bottomless basket of balls for you in heaven. I hope I will play with you again one day. xoxo