Thanksgiving Dog Rescue Video You Can't Watch Just Once

After a long holiday weekend in America during which families celebrated all they have to be thankful for, the Bonyun family of South Carolina has an extra reason to count their blessings and they caught it all on camera.

Buddy before the surgery on his eye lids.

The story began a few months ago when Buddy, a black lab mix, was found running down Maybank Highway on John’s Island, South Carolina. The woman who found him placed him in foster care with her neighbor Suzanne who already had dogs of her own but understood that a nearly full grown black dog would run the risk of euthanasia at the animal shelter as puppies and more colorful dogs would be more likely to find families. So Suzanne began working with Buddy at her home with the hopes of adopting him, but he began fighting with her alpha dog. Turns out the discord was connected to the fact that Buddy was in pain. He was born with a defect which caused his lower eyelids to turn inward against the eye which the veterinarian likens to the sensation of having gravel under the eyelid. With no money to fund the expensive surgery and no practical way to keep Buddy safe from fighting with her other dog, Suzanne turned to volunteer Tracie Mitchum who has a long history of waving her magic wand for dogs and cats who wouldn’t otherwise stand a chance.

Volunteer Tracie Mitchum Works Her Magic for Buddy

Tracie explained Buddy’s crisis to Dr. Irvin at the West Ashley Veterinary clinic who agreed to offer a deep discount on the surgery and a handful of helpers pooled their funds together to pay for Buddy’s surgery.

“As soon as he got home from the veterinarian he began chasing all my cats,” Tracie explains with a smile. And although Tracie bonded closely with Buddy, she knew it was critical to find him a forever home quickly.

An area group SQ Rescue soon found Buddy a home several hours away. Arrangements were made to meet half-way for the hand off, but the real magic began when Dave Bonyun pulled up at his son’s school with a wiggly surprise in the back seat. Watch the Sam and Ben’s adorable reaction to their new dog just days before Thanksgiving.

And Dave was kind enough to share an update of Buddy and the boys enjoying their first few days together.