The purpose of the Buddy Fund is to provide funding for dogs rescued by ACDRA who are in need of medical attention (beyond normal vetting) or dogs who are "special needs" cases.

In September 2013, we learned about a dog who needed help. His name was Buddy and he had been taken in by a good Samaritan after she found him walking on a busy road. His leg was swollen to four times its normal size and was possibly infected. This woman who found him had dogs of her own and couldn't keep Buddy. She asked if ACDRA could help. We said yes.

A foster home volunteered to take Buddy and a volunteer transport was arranged to get him from Pennsylvania to Maine. Many loving and generous people drove a portion of the journey to get Buddy to his foster home.

After arriving in Maine, Buddy was seen the next day by a vet to attend to the swollen leg. They took x-rays, which came back clear. They then aspirated a few of his sores and found they were riddled with mast cell tumor cells. The cancer was all over his body. The foster home and the vet talked about the prognosis and treatment. A rigorous schedule of steroids and anti-inflammatories followed by chemo and radiation was an option, but the prognosis was poor at best. At that point, given all he'd been through, and the pain he was in, the difficult decision to put him to sleep was made while he was still sedated. Buddy went gently to his forever rest.

Buddy spent his last afternoon and evening in the house with his foster mom, snuggled up on a blanket next to their bed. He was buried in their yard where they can say hello to him in the mornings when they have their coffee. 

Buddy's final resting place in the yard of his foster home.He was a wonderful dog who went through far too much, yet found love at the end from all the people who crossed his path and heard about him. He was fortunate that so many people came together to help him in his last days.

In his very short time with us, he touched the lives of all of us and his story has resonated with us. In his memory, ACDRA has established The Buddy Fund.