Buddy J Malone Hope

“That’s him,” I said, pointing at the photo of the smiling fluffball that filled my computer screen.

My fiancée and I had been looking for a dog for a while. We had been going to animal shelters and researching breeds to adopt, meeting with friendly puppers and getting advice, but none of them had been right for us.

Until we found him.

His name was Buddy – certainly not something I would have called him, but he could be our little buddy nonetheless. He was a three year old Japanese Spitz living in a small country town about two hours’ drive away. The photo showed a slightly dirty but happy pup smiling up from a seated position and everything about him said that he was the one.

My fiancée and I texted the owners on the website and asked to come meet him. We arranged a time to do so and –in knowing that we would very likely be taking him home with us – bought him a bed as a present.

The day we drove to pick up Buddy we were so excited. We pulled up at the small farmhouse and saw him tied up out the front grooming himself. We loved him instantly.

“Why are you getting rid of him?” we asked the owners.

“Well we usually let him wander around the paddock outside and we are always out. He got into our neighbour’s yard one day and he ate all of their chickens. They told us that they would have to shoot him if they saw him ever again,” the previous owners told us.

Wow. This happy smiling cotton ball had a bit of a murderous streak apparently. I imagined him covered in chicken blood all matted into his white fur.

Well, we certainly couldn’t allow him to get shot by a neighbouring farmer. We took him then and there.

Driving home my fiancée and I were over the moon. Our new little Buddy settled into his new bed and excitedly started his journey to a new home with us. Since that day, Buddy’s most favourite thing to do is to take himself off to his bed, which is the same one we bought for him. Japanese Spitz love to sleep, and he would prefer his own bed to my big comfy queen any day. We once had a birthday party for him, with heaps of other dogs and people in the house, and he simply took himself off to bed when he had enough.

Bed may be one of his most favourite things in the world, but there are many other things Buddy enjoys doing with his time. He never misses a morning and afternoon walk, and will gently woof and remind me as I get ready in the morning that he wants to explore. He does love foraging and hunting for things I would rather he not eat, barking at the possums in the trees every night, and finding cats and mice to chase. He hasn’t killed another chicken since though.

Buddy will spend his days lying in the grass in the sun and then spend his nights sitting outside looking up at the moon. It is magical to see him cast a white streak in the moonlight. He is protective of his mama while he is on the leash and always wants to be the alpha, taking on dogs who might be bigger than him to let them know he is boss. But his heart is as pure as his white fur, talking a big game but never being able to back it up.

Buddy J. Malone Eggbert Carr Hope – as his full name is decreed – is sometimes referred to as B, Monkey, Pumpkin, Munchkin, Mr. B, Ghost, Buds, Budster, or Buddy Malone. He is aloof and independent, except when peanut butter toast is in your hands, and is the best friend that I could ever ask for. He has been there for me during difficult times of my life, keeping me going, and is one of the reasons I am alive today.

He is the little chicken killer I rescued from a farm and I couldn’t be happier to come home to his wagging tail and high fives every day.