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Dogs Deserve Better received an urgent e-mail from Zella Anderson of Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance, requesting help for Neal Brooks from the Harrisburg, PA area. Seems that Neal, a man who uses a wheelchair due to loss of one leg, had gone to Tennessee with his dog to a relative's home, spent a couple of months there, but was unable to get a ride home, having to take the bus back.

He was assured Buster would be fine until he was able to find a way to bring him home.

After arriving back in Harrisburg, Neal became ill and was hospitalized. Once out of the hospital, he tried in vain to find someone to take him back to Tennessee to get his dog. No one would help. He heard that his dog, a cocker mix named Buster, was now living chained outside, with very little food and water, and no shelter.

He became frantic with worry, and began calling every animal agency he could find. He happened upon CPAA, and this is where our joint rescue story began. DDB's rescue coordinator, Marie Belanger, called Rogersville, Tennessee, and had a deputy go out to the address to look for the dog.

Turns out Buster was indeed there, and indeed had no shelter and very little food and water. He also was all but abandoned, because the relative who'd been living in the trailer was nowhere to be found.

He was 15-lbs. underweight, had fleas, sores, and a neck injury from his collar rubbing it raw. The deputy filed cruelty charges, and told Marie he could not seize the dog because he had nowhere to put him. Marie asked if he'd turn the dog over to Dogs Deserve Better if we got someone out there to pick him up.

The answer was Yes!

Upon hearing of the circumstances of the case, DDB founder Tamira Thayne didn't want to waste precious days trying to arrange a transport. She hopped in her van the next day, drove the 8 hours down I-81, overnighted in Tennessee, and met up with the deputy to pick him up the next morning.

She drove him to her house that evening, bathed him, cared for him, and traveled the 2.5 hours to Harrisburg the next day to reunite Buster and Neal.

What a reunion! There was not a dry eye in the house. Buster and Neal were overjoyed to see each other! It was truly the best Happy Ending story we could imagine here at Dogs Deserve Better, and the thought that both Neal and Buster will have something to be thankful for this Holiday Season warms our hearts and fuels our fire to continue.

Be sure to watch the video. Words cannot match the pleasure of seeing their reunion on film!

Thanks to CPAA, Zella Anderson, Marie Belanger, Mary Jo McClain, Tamira Thayne, and most of all, Buster and Neal for making this wonderful happily-ever-after tale possible.

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Contact Info: Dogs Deserve Better, Inc. • P.O. Box 23 • Tipton, PA 16684 • Toll Free 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
email: info@dogsdeservebetter.org