How Buddy Found His Family
Meet Buddy — now a beloved member of the Malur family in Del Ray. Once a lost street dog from West Virginia, his story is one of second chances, healing, and the kind of love that brings people together.
During Covid lockdown, Shelly and her twin daughters decided to foster. Their first foster showed them the joy — and heartache — of fostering. Months later, they got a call about Buddy needing emergency placement.
From the start, Buddy felt like “a favorite old sweatshirt — comfortable, familiar, impossible to part with.” On his second day, he bolted after being startled, but when Shelly turned onto her street, he was waiting calmly on their porch. He wasn’t running away — he was running home.
Today, Buddy is the neighborhood’s unofficial mayor. He greets everyone — dogs, kids, neighbors — with warmth and ease. Puppies and senior dogs find comfort in him, and his gentle presence has become part of the community.
Shelly had never had a dog before. But with Buddy, “it never feels like work — only love.” He carried her through Covid isolation, sparked conversations with strangers, and even helped mend a rift with her ex-husband. Now, he travels with the twins between homes, a bridge in the family.
Her advice to anyone considering fostering or adoption? Do it. “The dog you take in might just be the one who rescues you,” Shelly says. Buddy showed us that families can be healed in unexpected ways. He was once a lost dog, but now he is the heart of our home. And we are forever his.”
Buddy’s quirks — avoiding kitchens, cars, and never quite mastering “sit” — only make him more endearing. His greatest gift? Teaching that rescue dogs give back even more love than they receive.
Buddy once needed saving, but now he helps welcome new foster dogs, guiding them with patience and love. His story is a reminder: there are countless “Buddys” waiting in shelters for someone to open their home and heart.