Buford Saves Toddler, Weiner Dog Goes Wild, Pup Parent Wrestles Gator, and More!

Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees hero, seen on coyote patrol from his front porch. photo: KPNX

Good Boy, Buford:
Gentle Giant Rounds Up MIssing Toddler

Everyone's favorite hero dog this month is clearly Buford, the gentle Anatolian Pyrenees who took time out of his regular ranch duties to round up a missing toddler. 

Two-year-old Boden Allen had wandered off from his home in Seligman, Arizona, while his mom was busy changing a sibling's diaper. Wearing only pajama pants and a tank top, the toddler was missing for 16 terrifying hours in a rugged terrain known for mountain lions, coyotes, and the occasional bear.   

As local law enforcement and volunteers continued their search the next morning, rancher Scotty Dunton noticed something unusual. "I got in my truck to go to town and I see Buford walking down the side of the fence with a little blond kid with him," said Dunton. "I had heard about the missing child...so I knew it was him." Dunton retraced the dog's steps and estimated that Buford had accompanied the boy for the last mile of what searchers believe was an astonishing seven-mile trek.

On a typical day, Buford can be found patrolling Dunton's sprawling cattle ranch to ward off coyotes, but he's a tender soul at heart. "He loves kids," said Dunton. "And I imagine he wouldn't leave him once he'd found him."

Source: nbcnews.com

Valerie went missing while on holiday with her owners . photo: The Times

Born To Be Wild:
Kangaroo Island Dachshund Safe After 529 Days on the Run

Back in November 2023, a tiny miniature Dachshund named Valerie went camping with her people on Kangaroo Island, a rugged 100-mile-long outcropping off Australia's southern coast. When her humans left the campsite to go fishing, they secured the eight-pound pup in a playpen with plenty of food and toys to keep her occupied. But Valerie had other plans.

After ripping the pen open and hiding under a parked car, she escaped the campsite area and ran off into the bushland. A frantic search ensued, but Valerie was nowhere to be found. At the end of the week, her heartbroken owners had to return to the mainland without her.

But months later, reports began to surface of a small dog in a pink collar wandering the island, an "unbelievable" development according to local Kangala Wildlife Rescue Director Jared Karran. "Of all dogs, that would be the last one I would say would survive out there," said Karran. "But they do have a really good sense of smell. That's probably helped her in terms of finding food."

Valerie had grown fast and wary during her time in the wild. In her more than 17 months on the run, she likely survived eating roadkill and drinking water from local dams, according to wildlife experts. The cagey pup also managed to elude two varieties of venomous snakes that inhabit the island, Black Tigers and Pygmy Copperheads, as well raptors, big feral cats, and thousands of kangaroos.

But Valerie sightings had increased in recent weeks. A video taken on a night-vision camera showed her playing with a food box left out to tempt her ("Roast chicken seems to be everyone's favorite," said the post, likely speaking for all dogs as well as the five possums, two wallabies, and one feral cat who crashed the feast). 

With Valerie showing up more frequently, rescuers created a large dog trap baited with her old dog basket, blanket, favorite toy, and a shirt belonging to one of her owners. They attached a long line to the trap’s door that could be activated manually and sat down to wait. And finally, after 529 days in the wild, the little Dachshund strolled into the trap. Click.

Valerie’s since been reunited with her loving human family, ending perhaps the most famous canine walkabout in modern times. If she could speak, she’d certainly have tales to tell. But for now, all she can do is wag.

Sources: washingtonpost.com, theguardian.com, thetimes.com

Kona and Kim Spencer. photo: FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Only in Florida:
Woman Pries Dog From Gator's Grip

She may be crazy, but she's no coward. Tampa resident Kim Spencer recently set a new bar for dog parent bravery when she wrestled her pup's head from the jaws of an attacking alligator.

Spencer says she was on an evening walk with her dog Kona when she noticed a six-and-a-half-foot gator lurking nearby. She urged Kona to walk away, but the dog stood her ground. In seconds, the alligator launched itself, chomping down on Kona's head.

"Her whole head was inside its mouth," reports Spencer. "I stopped thinking and just dove on it, jumped on it and straddled it, as lady-like as that is, and was trying to pry its jaws open." Perched on the reptile's back, Spencer was able to wrench Kona's head free, after which the gator scuttled back into the water.

Both Spencer and Kona required stitches, with Spencer sustaining injuries to both hands and Kona winding up in a cone collar. But Spencer is just grateful they survived the incident and is using the story to alert others to alligator danger.

"Many people say they are more afraid of us than we are of them," she says. "Clearly not the case."

Source: people.com

A dog at Ellen Robert’s facility in Missouri, a facility that appears in this report for the 10th time. photo: USDA

Hall of Shame:
Show Me State Shows Its Worst

For the 13th year in a row, Missouri has claimed the dubious honor as home of the nation's highest number of problem dog breeders, according to Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the U.S.

Known as the Horrible Hundred, this annual list relies on inspection reports from state agencies and the USDA to identify violations and concerns at commercial breeding operations across the country. Breeders are also put on the list if they sell puppies to Petland or its affiliated stores, the only national chain of pet stores that continues to sell puppies.

Of this year's hundred worst breeding operations, a whopping 26 were located in Missouri (Ohio was next with 16). One Missouri state legislator has filed a bill to regulate commercial animal breeders in the Show Me State, but it's currently languishing without a date on the house calendar.  

While undeniably depressing, the Horrible Hundred serves as an annual reminder for consumers to stand up to puppy mills by refusing to buy a puppy from a pet store or from any breeder they haven't personally visited and vetted.

It's pretty simple, people: adopt, don't shop.

Source: news-leader.com

Sprout, before and after her restorative makeover. photo: OTT

Department of Happy Endings:
A Makeover and a New Home

Back in January, Chicago police officers discovered an enormous, severely matted dog wandering in the middle of a busy city intersection. The animal was in such bad shape that they couldn't even tell what type of dog it was, but they quickly contacted One Tail at a Time (OTT), a local rescue group who got right to work.

OTT's veterinary team had to sedate the dog to remove over 32 pounds of hair clotted with feces and urine to treat a serious skin infection. But once the hair was off, the dog they dubbed Sprout turned out to be a regal female Tibetan Mastiff, a breed known for its lion-like appearance and protective nature. "I think the most incredible part of rescuing Sprout was just to see the transformation," said one team member.

After her makeover, Sprout's story soon took off on social media. A local woman named Nicole Moss, who already had one Tibetan Mastiff rescue called Wally, saw the post and applied to be Sprout's forever family. Wally and Sprout hit it off immediately, playing together like siblings, and the deal was sealed.

Today, Sprout is fully recovered and happy in her new home. "She loves going for walks," Moss reports. "But her absolute favorite thing to do is to sit in the window, because we live on the main road, and just bark at every motorcycle and car and random person walking."

Bark all you want, big girl. You've earned it.

Sources: fox32chicago.com, people.com