Buddy Soon Will Have a New Home

IRONWOOD, MI - by Keri Singleton - Thursday, February 18, 2010 - The sun is shining brightly, the weather is warming up, and Buddy will soon have a new home. You may remember Buddy, the approximately year-old Springer Spaniel mixed breed dog from H.O.P.E.(Help Orphaned Pets Everywhere), who needed a hip operation. Thanks to generous donations, Buddy recently had his surgery, and as you can see, he is doing wonderfully.

I got to visit with Edna and Bert Tatham, Buddy’s foster parents, at their home on Wednesday afternoon. It just so happened Buddy was getting his weekly massage from massage therapist Donna Coggins. Massage helps with the recovery process. Buddy’s surgery consisted of taking the top of his femur bone off, which had been malformed, causing pain for him each time he moved.

Now, the muscle inside will compensate for the missing femur, and he is doing just fine. Edna contacted Donna after reading about her new specialty, dog massage. Donna was so taken with Buddy that she volunteered to give Buddy a massage once a week, for free. Edna has been doing physical therapy with Buddy two times a day since his surgery. She told me he has had no problems.

The type of problem Buddy had usually requires removing the leg; however, Dr. Calvin Kobluc, from Alexandria Veterinary Clinic in Minnesota, was able to do the operation successfully, in Superior, Wisconsin, and even charged less than estimated. The original estimate was for $1,900 to $2,200; Dr. Kobluc preformed the operation for $1,600. H.O.P.E. actually received more than that in donations, so the extra money will go in a medical fund to help other animals.

Buddy obviously benefited greatly from his massage from Donna. Donna explained the benefits of massage for Buddy: speeds healing, helps promote healthy scar tissue, lymph drainage, and relieves anxiety. Donna said massage is great for any dog, and especially working dogs. The average time of a dog massage is thirty minutes, but each dog is different.

We are happy to report that H.O.P.E. has six families interested in Buddy, and have begun the screening process. Edna and Bert expect him to be with his new family within a couple of weeks. Huge thanks go out to all the donors who gave this wonderful dog another chance to live a happy, pain free life.

Donna Coggins, human and dog massage therapist, can be reached at (906) 663-4233. Donna makes house calls, so don’t hesitate to fill your spot today for your furry friend. They will be so glad you did.

Thank you to Edna and Bert Tatham, who continue to be a loving foster home for needy animals, and do so much for H.O.P.E., and to everyone at H.O.P.E., paid and volunteer, who do so much for dogs and cats in need. H.O.P.E. can be reached at (906) 932-1511. There are many animals waiting for their forever home, and someone to love.

Thanks again to everyone who made Buddy’s surgery possible.