A place to remember Buddy

Walden Animal Hospital will build Buddy's memorial this spring in a garden at Memory Gardens Pet Crematorium.

Walden Animal Hospital veterinarian Carolyn Lariviere, said the memorial, complete with a wishing well, will become a place to remember Buddy himself, and the generosity of spirit shown by the community towards “a dog most only knew through photographs.”

“We are planning to make it a beautiful spot where pets and their owners, as well as our staff, can spend a few quiet reflective moments,” she said. “Buddy really inspired us, and we wanted his memorial to be a happy, hopeful place. The wishing well seemed like a perfect way to honour his memory.”

The cost of the memorial is being donated by the Walden Animal Hospital. The funds donated to Buddy by the public are strictly for the trust, which is dedicated to the medical care of abused and abandoned pets, Lariviere said.

Staff have to wait for some road restrictions to be lifted before they can bring in the soil they need to get started on the memorial, but it shouldn't take very long, she added.

Even in death, Buddy the Hero Dog continues to rally the troops in the fight against animal abuse.

“We believe that Buddy's story has raised awareness about the current legislation regarding animal cruelty, and has inspired many people to get involved both personally and politically,” Lariviere said.

Many organizations work in earnest to raise awareness of animal cruelty in an effort to put an end to it, and keeping Buddy's story in the spotlight will help push home that point, Jill Pessot, of Pet Save, said.

“We are working to raise awareness about the amount of animal abuse that goes on,” Pessot said. “Our focus is to make sure that we raise issues ... and make sure that people fully understand that we are very vocal about it. We need to look for change, and this is the time to work for the change.”

Thousands of people walked in memory of Buddy on March 18. Participants walked three kilometres to symbolize the journey Buddy made after he was shot in the face, Pessot said.

“We are fortunate that we were able to find the culprit, but often we don't find them,” she said.

A 32-year-old man has been charged with four counts of animal cruelty, under the Ontario SPCA Act, in connection to the death of Buddy.

The four charges include one count of causing the animal to be in distress, one count of permitting the animal to be in distress, one count of failing to provide adequate and appropriate medical attention, and one count of failing to humanely kill an animal by a method that is humane and minimizes the pain and distress to the animal.

Animal lovers have united online, including the Facebook group, Buddy the Hero Dog, to fight animal abuse and develop a pressure group to bring offenders to justice.

“Lots of people are sending photos and comments after the walk,” Marie Clarke, one of the organizers of the Facebook group dedicated to Buddy, said. The group currently has more than 900 members.

People are discussing Bill 47, which pushes for changes to the Ontario SPCA Act, she said. More than 8,000 people have signed a petition opposed to the changes, which would essentially decrease enforcement powers for OSPCA investigators, she said.

As a result of Buddy's story, people are becoming more open with their opinions, asking questions, offering advice, sharing stories and posting picture of their pets, Clarke said.

There are upwards of 100 groups on Facebook that are striving for animal rights – Clarke said she follows at least 25 of them. When a large number of people pushes a petition and really fights for the cause, that will raise awareness, she said.

“It will sort of educate people, and lots of people will know we do need the harshest penalties against animal abuse,” she said.

The OSPCA responds to thousands of animal cruelty complaints every year across the province. Alison Cross, manager of marketing and communication for the Ontario SPCA, said that number ranges between 13,000 and 15,000 a year.

“We don't have any data on conviction rates,” Cross said. “In 2010, under the Ontario SPCA Act, there were 170 charges laid, and, under the Criminal Code, there was 124 charges laid.”

Posted by Arron Pickard