Buddy, the elusive stray dog that drew the concern of dozens of residents after he was sighted wandering around west Cobb County, is doing well.
Billy Mayfield, shelter operations manager for Cobb County Animal Control, said the 12-year-old Labrador Retriever mix will go up for public adoption on Sunday.
So far, his last owner has not stepped up to reclaim the pet.
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Mayfield said one person is on a waiting list to adopt Buddy.
He also cautioned that Buddy may not necessarily go to his forever home this weekend.
“Hopefully he will, but just because someone goes on the list, it’ doesn’t mean they have to show up. Sometimes people don’t show.”
He said the dog has not had an extensive exam by vets but seems to be doing okay. “He doesn’t seem hyperactive or aggressive.”
His story, though, has inspired several neighbors, one of whom had nicknamed him Parker (since he was captured in a nearby park).
Charlotte Malone was one of the first people who saw Buddy in the area of Mars Hill Road hanging out near a church. It turns out several people had spotted him as well and tried to catch him but he always ran away.
Her mother suggested she post on Nextdoor, a social network for neighborhoods.
Soon other people began posting . Some offered to help look. Others reported seeing the same dog elsewhere. She found out that staffers at an animal hospital had seen him and given him food. His story reached dog lovers in other states, who clamored for updates.
A woman named Donna grabbed a leash, water, food, collar and her dog and took off in search of the yellow Lab.
Fortunately, he had a microchip. Based that information, officers went to his last known home. Unfortunately, they were told, the man who once lived there had died several years earlier.
A woman who used to take him to medical appointments adopted the dog, but no one knew or name or had any contact information.
Now Buddy is waiting for a new human to take him home.
