After multistate journey, stolen dog is homeward-bound
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 01:27 p.m., May 8, 2008
Updated 04:20 p.m., May 9, 2008
Photo by Gloria Pollock/Special to the Rocky
Buddy waits patiently during the drive to Fort Collins on Saturday to be reunited with his owner, Mark Hench.
Photo by Gloria Pollock/Special to the Rocky
Buddy is reunited with his owner, Mark Hench, in Fort Collins on Saturday.
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Buddy, a calendar-cute white mop of a lap dog, was swiped in California, showed up in Texas seven months later and now is on his way to Colorado to be reunited with the astonished man who loves him.
Buddy's odyssey was made possible by the kindness of strangers and his owner's decision to get an ID chip placed under the dog's skin.
"My prayers have been answered," Mark Hench, a disabled man who lives in Fort Collins, said Thursday. "I have no family. Buddy is my little son."
Before Hench got sick, he owned a body shop in Ventura, Calif. Last summer, he went to an animal shelter and bought Buddy, a bichon frise.
One day, according to the account of a neighbor, a guy on a bicycle came by the shop, grabbed Buddy, put him in the bike's basket and pedaled off.
"For three months, I drove up and down the streets looking for Buddy," Hench said. "I was very upset."
Then Hench fell sick and wasn't able to work anymore. His daughter in Fort Collins arranged for him to move there. Several months had gone by when, on April 17, Hench got a call.
In a Texas accent, a woman said, "Honey, we have your bichon here. Do you want to swing by and pick him up?"
When Hench found out that the call was from Fort Worth, he said, no, he really couldn't just swing by. The animal control officer, Ginger Leach, didn't give up.
She called a number that lists all the volunteer animal rescuers in north Texas. That's how Love Frazar, transportation coordinator for Rescue Angels on Wheels, got involved.
A Colorado Springs couple in the rescue group volunteered to take him back to their city; they happened to be vacationing in Texas. Another volunteer will bring Buddy to Highlands Ranch, where Gloria Pollock will pick him up, drive to Fort Collins and "put him on his daddy's doorstep," Frazar said.
That should happen sometime Saturday afternoon. No one involved has any idea how Buddy got from California to Texas.
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Comments
Posted by jjwood64 on May 8, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WOO-HOO!!! Glad little Buddy is finally getting home.
To the loser that swiped him, here's hoping for boatloads of negative karma.
Posted by freethought on May 8, 2008 at 1:48 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by nicktaste on May 8, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
next thing u know, the story will be a bout a missing child
"thanks to rfid, i got my kid back"
and all parents must get their child chipped (by law)
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hopefully that happens later rather than sooner
Posted by freethought on May 8, 2008 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"His bed is my bed," Confucious says; he who lies with dog, wakes with fleas.
Posted by Logic1 on May 8, 2008 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yo Nick. Great thought. Why is this being done? People probably think it is invasion of privacy.
Posted by freethought on May 8, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Throw me a bone here, people. Haven't I riled one canine cuddler here yet?
Posted by Heidi on May 8, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
freethought, I once got conned into going to some Baptist bible thumper prayer group. They wanted everyone to pray for someone to get a new car. Not just a car because theirs broke down and they couldn't make it to work. A brand new car!! I got out of there as fast as I could!
Posted by Heidi on May 8, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, freethought, I guess you were looking for opposition and aggression towards yourself.
Posted by freethought on May 8, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I usually am, Heidi, but it is so nice to know that other freethinkers are out there and listening.
How about this one- "Prayer is the answer to every problem in life... We call on God to intervene in the lives of the selfish, greedy people who are keeping these prices high," The week before last Thursday's National Day of Prayer, a community organizer and choir director from Washington, D.C., attracted considerable news coverage with his public pleas that motorists pray for cheaper gasoline prices.
Posted by Heidi on May 8, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmmm...well I guess it doesn't hurt to pray. Maybe the power of positive thinking will make it happen! At least they aren't out there stealing it. Or maybe they are. Then they can just go to confession on Sunday and all will be right with God. Or maybe if they use stolen gas just to go to church, it would be cool with him.
Posted by freethought on May 8, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if the producers of gasoline pray to keep the prices and profits high, also? I guess those people are praying louder, HUH?
Posted by Heidi on May 8, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I suppose that they are paying off the lobbyists who have direct ties to a higher power.
Posted by nicktaste on May 8, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ignorance, its whats for dinner
Posted by LazyR on May 8, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope that crap-headed dog thief didn't abuse poor little Buddy.
Posted by NativeDenver on May 8, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nice. A sweet little story about a stolen dog being returned to his owner, and you clowns turn into into a religion bashing party. Nice.
Posted by Steve on May 8, 2008 at 10:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lol!
Posted by Pogo on May 9, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That is a great story. Why are so many comments negative. Don't the negative writers have anything else to do but sit around and pick apart someones happiness? My prayers have been answered is a figure of speech and he probably did pray for the return of his dog. Get a life!
Posted by Heidi on May 9, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pogo and NativeDenver,
I wasn't picking apart this guy's happiness. In fact, I am an animal lover and that's what drew me to this article. I am happy for this guy. How hard it is to lose an animal and never know what happened to it. What a great reunion it will be!
We just went off on another tangent, I guess. You could say that I am a recovering Catholic and don't care for religious hypoctits. I'm not saying that this guy is a hypocrit at all. Sorry we didn't stick to the topic. I wouldn't have done that especially if it was an article about a tragic incident without a happy ending.
Posted by happymike44 on May 9, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I own a service dog who is sweet as can be.Let me tell you would walk through fire to get him back to me.Why because no one knows how much I rely on him for the day to day things in life.This story was great it proves a point that if you are truly lucky and your karma is good.Then what you want more then anything will come true.Rock on little buddy also remember microchipping a dog is like lo-jack for pets.My dog has a chip just in case someone takes him from me.But let me tell you I would leave no stone unturned to get him back to me.Because no one treats him as well as I do.
Posted by Heidi on May 9, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
happymike,
Now that is a nice story. I am sure your dog is very special to you and hope that you have a long, happy life with him!
Posted by TheDenverB on May 9, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
leave it to freethought to turn any thread into an: "hey everyone, look at me! i'm an athiest!" thread.
Posted by LamboMan on May 9, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know what happened. The guy that snatched Buddy, who was riding a bike, was obviously part of a riding team (organized athletics). Darn those wicked, wicked athlete's! Right freethought?
I haven't run across any stories about defective humans that happen to be involved in some sort of sport getting into trouble today, so thought I'd offer you up a chance to vent. : )
Posted by mc on May 9, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Hench has all of his prayers answered. He explained it to me once...its called "FAITH".
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