When Jalessa Miller got her dog, Buddy, a year ago, he weighed over a whopping 130 pounds (approx. 60 kilograms)—and on top of that, he had a severely broken right leg.
The caring veterinary technician worked hard to save the 6-year-old heeler from sure death, and now thousands of people are following his weight-loss journey, cheering him on every step of the way.
Ms. Miller, 26, was working at Dodge City Veterinary Clinic in Kansas when she came across the dog. So overweight he was suffering a broken leg and unable to stand on his own or toilet properly, Buddy’s chance of having a decent quality of life was severely diminished. After contacting his owners to find out how they wanted to proceed, the most viable option seemed like euthanasia.
Taking care of the animals staying at the office, Ms. Miller soon realized how enormous the task of looking after Buddy was. “But,” she told The Epoch Times, “he has such a great personality that it’s hard not to fall in love with him.”
A few days before the owners were due to sign off on euthanasia, the young tech had made her mind up: she’d ask the owners to surrender Buddy over to her, and she would take on responsibility for his medical needs and try to get him in the best shape possible.
The doctors, however, suspected the dog may have cancer due to the severity of the break in his leg, and tried to prepare their colleague for the likelihood of Buddy not surviving longer than a few months.
That was April 2022.
Now, over a year later, Buddy is thriving under the care of his new, loving guardian. But making a fresh start of it has not come easy. While he didn’t have cancer, there was a severe infection in his leg. He didn’t walk; the best he could do was waddle his body, and he had to be moved on a giant comforter, by more than a couple of people. He would also urinate on himself: “A sad sight to see,” Ms. Miller said.
In order to prepare for much-needed surgery, Buddy lived at the clinic for several months, following a strict diet. His old owners said they had found the dog lost by the side of the road, in an underweight state.
“I think it was possibly a case of loving too hard, thinking that they’re doing the best thing by not restricting food; just giving him as much food as he wanted,” Ms. Miller said.
“The break in his leg was very old when he came to us, and they were unaware there even was one.”
Ms. Miller gradually decreased the amount of food Buddy received per day, and, after two weeks, he began to slowly lose weight. Little by little he started walking unaided; but, Ms. Miller says, the team soon found out how stubborn the characterful canine really was.
She said: “He listens to me great, but he would scoot around or act like he couldn’t get up because then he would get more attention. But I’m like, ‘No, he’s faking it guys. Don’t worry, he’ll stand up. Leave him alone.‘ And they’re like, ’Oh, wow, he did.' So, there were a few setbacks, but I expected that. At first, it was kind of hard to deal with, but even humans on a weight loss journey experience setbacks. And once he started, he hasn’t really stopped.”
By July 2022, Buddy had dropped to 103 pounds (46 kilograms) and was finally ready for surgery.
Unfortunately, post-operation, the dog’s body had a bad reaction to the plate and screws used to fuse his leg, necessitating another surgery in November. But by December, Buddy was ready to go to his forever home.
At that time, Ms. Miller, a former military lab technician born and raised in Texas, was having her own personal struggles.
“When I found Buddy,” she said, “I was in a very hard place in my life. So, I always say that he’s ten times stronger than I will ever be. He’s been my rock through a lot.”
Frequent daily walks, lots of love and attention, and a careful diet with fun snacks—his favorite is fresh strawberries—have been key to transforming Buddy’s health and well-being. He is fed two-thirds of a cup of food twice a day, plus different supplements and healthy treats to boost joint mobility and build muscle.
The last time Ms. Miller weighed Buddy, he was 70 pounds (31 kilograms). He enjoys going to work with Ms. Miller at the vet clinic where he sits out front, greeting everyone who comes in.
“Buddy has an amazing personality,” she said. “He’s very loving and really funny. He does goofy things around the house; he likes to roll, and keep rolling on the ground. We have three cats, and he doesn’t mind them at all. They will share the bed and little spots with each other. He’s a very unique dog.
“Even when he first arrived, he had joy in his eyes, but he couldn’t do anything with it.”
A cattle dog, Buddy likes living in Ms. Miller’s rural Kansas home where he enjoys playfully chasing her cattle. He actually runs now, she says, which is a great sight to see. Buddy has come such a long way, and Ms. Miller is incredibly proud of him.
Moreover, she says, “He is my best friend. Wherever I go, he goes; he doesn’t like being far from me, and we do everything together. I’m so happy to just be able to watch his journey.”
The animal expert warns fellow pet owners about the pitfalls of overfeeding.
“I would just caution people on over-loving with food. There’s so many other ways to show your animal love, which includes keeping them healthy and giving them the right kind of food and exercise,” she said.
