You're some lucky, Buddy!

Hi All,

I would not be so outraged if I didn't have Amigo. He's my sweet little beagle. Before him, when I heard stories like I saw and read about this week concerning Celtic Pet Rescue of course I was concerned... I'm not made of stone.... but weren't there worse things to worry about than animals? I mean there are starving children all over this world.

Amigo himself came from a rescue organization (Beagle Paws www.beaglepaws.com) based out of St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador. Beagle Paws rescues beagles that have been abandoned, abused, unwanted, or their owners can no longer care for them. I found this organization by accident, when we were looking to get our first family pet. I had chosen another beagle (all done over the internet and phone), but after learning more about our family and our surroundings, they recommended Amigo. Our family had to go through a screening program before being allowed to adopt. For me, I was glad to see them ask so many questions, it made me feel like they just didn't hand out dogs to everyone and really tried to match the right dog to the right family.

On February 17, 2007, we will celebrate Amigo's 3rd "birthday", which is actually the day we picked him up at the Halifax airport and took him to his forever home. But enough about Amigo because I could go on and on about that sweet sweet beagle.

There must be a rumour going around in the abandoned/lost pet community on Boularderie Island that the Symes family will take you in. And feed you. And bathe you. And find you a home. In the last 3 years, we have found homes for one cat, who was living in one of our sheds, and one dog, "Buddy" who we moved in for a couple of days while we figured out where we find him a home. One dog we couldn't help very much because I was afraid he might have rabies. When I called the SPCA about that dog, they were going to come and get him. Then, they called back and said they weren't because we live outside of CBRM, and could we possibly transport him to the St. James Road (only a few kms away) then they could pick him up. Oh, and to make me feel better, they told me there's no rabies in Cape Breton. Yeah....ok....ummm...let me think about that one.....NO!!! Put a possibly rabid dog in my van and drive it down the road? Really? The dog disappeared shortly after, and I never saw him again.

The cat living in the shed was there for who knows how long. I found him sitting on top of the patio table AFTER I had sent the dog in to scare of any *eek* mice. Amigo never saw the cat (he gets by on his looks mostly), but while I was taking the gardening tools from the shelf, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and slowly turned around to find the cat. He's now living a good life as a mouser in a barn in Kempt Head.

The dog, Buddy, we found last year in April. From what we can piece together by talking to neighbours is Buddy may have been lost or abandoned in January. He had been on the run for 4 months. A family had moved away, and "Buddy", as the kids called him, got left behind. Buddy showed up here so skinny that when I bathed him I could SEE his ribs. He ate 5 full bowls of food the first time I fed him. He was so skinny that Amigo's harness fit around his torso, even though he was about 4-6 inches taller than Amigo. He really was a beautiful and sweet tempered dog.

We bathed him and fed him, and housed him for a couple of days and called a local vet to see if they knew anyone missing him, or anyone wanting him. I didn't bother to call the SPCA since they had be no help at all with the other dog. The vet called Celtic Pet Rescue, and they agreed to take him. By the time the vet brought him to Port Hawkesbury, someone else had offered to adopt him. "Buddy" is now living on a huge farm in Antigonish and I am sure he is a loyal and loving pet.

When I think how close he came to going to Celtic Pet Rescue, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I know that nothing has been "proven" yet, but just looking at the pictures of the state of a place you send animals to be SAFE...there are no words to describe it. The white cat I saw on the news with pee all over it, the lack of food in the bowls, the feces and filth, you can almost smell it through the tv. Sickening. And inexcusible.

Buddy, you don't know how lucky you are.