Saved From Near Death Due to Heart Condition, Bucky the Dog Is Ready for a Forever Home

Growing up in a warehouse, on a chain, Bucky spent the first six months of his life as a guard dog. Then, as time went by, his caretaker, who had purchased Bucky from a pedigree Belgian Shepherd breeder, noticed something wasn’t right. Bucky, a hearty eater, was as thin as a rake and hardly grew and his belly was distended. After taking him to the veterinary clinic, his owner – expecting it to be something minor – received a heartbreaking diagnosis: Bucky was dying. Unless he could foot the expenses for life-long medication and major surgery, his only option for the sick dog was euthanasia. But the owner had neither the money to save his life nor the heart to end it. Instead, he took Bucky to the Animal Friends Foundation-Burgas, leaving it to them.

A Ticking Time Bomb

Abandoned by his owner, Bucky’s life now lay in the hands of the unfamiliar faces at the Animal Friends Foundation-Burgas. The team, despite their  lack of funds, couldn’t turn their back on this innocent young soul, not like his owner had done. They wouldn’t give up on him. After numerous tests at another clinic, Bucky’s diagnosis was startling. He has a rare heart condition called stenosis which is the narrowing of the heart valve and stops blood from circulating properly causing an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

His owner, it seemed, had bought Bucky from an illegitimate pedigree breeder. As a result, he was born with this fatal heart condition. Sadly, no treatment can cure this complex heart defect completely but Bucky, nevertheless, needed major surgery. Only five dogs in the world have undergone this kind of surgery before and Bucky is the only dog of his small size to receive this operation.

With the surgery, came risks. But Bucky, with his immense strength of will, came through it with no problems. While this surgery won’t erase his condition entirely, it has made it far more stable than before.

New Hope for Bucky

After a successful operation, Bucky’s life expectancy still hangs in the balance. He could live for ten years, ten months or ten days and will need medication every day to draw out the liquid accumulating in his stomach.

For now, he’s doing well. The workers at the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas say he doesn’t gain weight easily and won’t ever grow to be the normal size of a Belgian Shepherd dog but most importantly, he’s happy. He’s been living at the Animal Friends Foundation – Burgas Shelter for nearly a year and absolutely loves human company, sadly, his condition makes finding a willing adopter all the more difficult. Despite his loving disposition and sweet face, the shelter says no one has ever shown any interest in adopting him.

Bucky’s heart might be defective, but to make it stronger, he needs a loving family and home. Bucky has so much love to give, but nobody to give it to. So please, if you would like to adopt Bucky or make a donation to ensure his care at Animal Friends, click here. Bucky’s “owner” abandoned him because he was too much for him to handle and now, all Bucky wants is a safe and loving home. He might only have a few weeks left to live and deserves the chance to finally get the love and respect he deserves!

To learn more about the incredible work done by Animal Friends Foundation Burgas, check out their website.