Saturdays at CCHS headquarters will never be the same, because we have lost the sweetest, friendliest, most loyal Empty Pet Bowl volunteer ever— the incomparable Buddy, shown here with his human dad and best friend, Bill. For several years now, Bill and Linda Wise have faithfully worked the twice-monthly EPB pet food distributions, invariably accompanied by Buddy. Buddy would make himself at home, supervising the activities of the volunteers from the comfort of the office couch, sometimes trotting out to oversee the loading of clients’ cars or playing with his volunteer pal Mauricio when things weren’t busy.
Buddy’s calm, soothing presence became a fixture at all sorts of CCHS activities, from adoption events to the Fun Dog Show. He never met a stranger, and everyone who encountered this gentle giant of a dog fell instantly in love with him. He handled the rough affection of small children with patience and grace. He was tender and cautious with the elderly and the infirm. He was a friend to all of God’s creatures, no matter their species or temperament.
When Buddy chose to honor you by resting his head in your lap and fixing his big dark eyes on your face, it was impossible to resist rubbing his luxuriously soft ears and repeatedly assuring him that he was the goodest boy ever. While Buddy was getting on in years and inevitably slowing down a bit, we still thought of him as ageless. As is always true of the animals we love, the time we had with him seemed far too short.
Bill and Linda have quite a menagerie on their farm, including several other dogs. However, there was, and ever will be, only one Buddy. We join the Wise family in mourning the passing of a truly noble dog.
