So imagine this….you’re living out in the county where it is rare that you see anything out of the ordinary cross your yard…It starts to rain….then it start to hail….the wind picks up….and out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving in field outside your front window…it takes a moment to sink in that it is not a wild animal, but rather a dog.  That is what happened to a Baxter family recently, during this past week’s storms.  Like many folks, they were torn…should we try to help him or just let him find his way home….?  Seeing as how terrible the storm was, they ran outdoors and tried to save the life of this beautiful creature.

After bringing him into their basement, they realized that this boy had been on his own for quite some time….

A.A.R.F. volunteers showed up the following day and transported him to our veterinarian, Best Friends in Crossville, TN.  He received a comprehensive physical, which showed that aside from being a bit underweight and full of intestinal parasites, he was pretty healthy…but then they looked at his ear.  What we believed to be matted, was actually an abscess.  They immediately operated and were fearful that they may not be able to save the ear. 

We contacted the family who found him, who were so concerned about his well being….they told us a story that on the night of his arrival, he was so incredibly terrified, but eventually followed their son into their basement.  He ate some food and drank 2 bowls of water….as almost a “thank you”, he picked up a rag that was laying on the floor and layed it in their son’s lap….he thanked “Fred” by giving him some pats on the head and a few hugs.  “Fred” loved it so much, he went searching until he found a second rag to bring to him once again.  He knew that he was safe. 

One of the vet techs at Best Friends, Beth, volunteered to foster Fred while he was recovering from his operation.  His bandages needed changing daily and everything must be done properly, otherwise his ear could be lost. 

A week later, Fred is doing very well, and it appears that his ear will be saved!!!