PUPDATE: Buddy the Illinois Shelter Dog is “Loved & Cherished” Once More!


Buddy the goldendoodle has found his forever family!


Not long ago, we told you about Buddy, the dog abandoned outside the Henry County Humane Society in Geneseo, IL. Along with him, a sad note from his former family, explaining how he had been “loved and cherished” and how they hoped he would find a new family to love him.

His story went viral, of course, and now he belongs to Sara and Aaron Hogan, a Springfield couple who come complete with a new fur sibling: a Maltese/poodle mix that looks quite a bit like a mini-Buddy!

“They initially saw the story about Buddy in our local paper that Sara follows on Facebook and she thought she would send in an application in hopes that he would be available for adoption at some point,” shelter manager Tracy Diehl told PEOPLE in an email. “They had been looking for a dog and thought he looked like a good match for their home. Buddy will have a large fenced in yard and his new ‘brother’ to play in it with.”


Choosing a family for Buddy wasn’t easy. With a story that took the Internet by storm, a host of applications came in from all across the country.

“It was difficult to narrow them down,” Diehl explained, “but we really feel like we have made a perfect match.”

As we reported in our previous story, Diehl hopes that Buddy’s happy ending will spread to all the other animals whose stories are lesser known.

“We hope that this makes people more aware that great dogs are at shelters throughout the county,” she says. “And even if you are hoping for a specific breed, open your heart and give a different type of dog a chance.”

The shelter has decided to name the dog run at its new shelter — the location where Buddy was abandoned in May — Buddy’s Playpen. “We are currently under construction, and do not have all the funding we need for the dog yards,” Diehl says. “While Buddy won’t be using the yards, dogs for many years will enjoy being able to run and roll in the yards!”

Want to make a donation to Buddy’s Playpen? Click here and select “new shelter” during the process.

Don’t forget to honor Buddy and check out all the wonderful adoptable dogs while you’re on the site!

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