At the end of 2017, I received a call from the Animal Control Officer in Jasper. She had been called out to investigate a cruelty case. Two emaciated dogs were locked in an xpen outside, starved, freezing, absolutely no food and a bowl of green slime that used to be water. The smaller dog was unresponsive, and his friend, a gentle faced boxer weighing no more than 35 pounds, was standing guard over him.

The shelter staff worked quickly. They brought both dogs into the veterinarian immediately. But the smaller guy didn’t even survive the short trip to the vet. We were quickly losing hope. The boxer was lethargic, his body temperature too low to register, not enough food in weeks, probably months, to gather a fecal sample. He had been eating only rocks. This boy was going to need a miracle.

That day, that sweet starved boxer became our very first Underdog. I named him Toby, after my first dog. Those first few days were very scary. But we made a promise to him that we would fight right along with him, as long as he had the will to live. And he did. At the shelter, Toby felt a kind hand, soft bed and full tummy for the first time ever. He slowly but surely started to gain some weight and strength.

We flew to Texas in January 2018 to meet this gentle soul. He was slowly gaining weight and was ready to settle into life with a foster family to continue his long journey back to health. We drove him (along with two very special other dogs) the 24 hours back home to Buffalo.

Over the next several months Toby enjoyed more meals than we can count. And even more belly rubs. He devoured snacks while lounging in bed, snoring away on a pillow, and got to take trips to the pet store to pick out any bone he wanted. He experienced true love for the first time in his 7 years. But his story doesn’t have a happy ending. His “family” who didn’t bother to feed him or give him water, also didn’t give him heartworm preventative. His heart was so full of worms, it was distended and shaped like a softball. He underwent treatment and received the best veterinary care possible, but the damage to his little body was already done and beyond repair. No amount of love could save our special guy. On April 10th, after putting up the best fight he could, we held him while we said goodbye.

Toby’s far too short life was filled with suffering and pain for the first 7 years. But he fit a lifetime of love and joy into his 4 months as an Underdog. In spite of everything he had been through, there has never been a more gentle soul. To spend a moment with him was to love him. Toby is everything that Buffalo Underdogs believes in: seeing the beauty in every dog, in spite of a broken body; Believing that every single dog deserves to know love, a full belly and a couch to snooze on.

Our logo is made from the first picture taken of Toby after we arrived back home with him in Buffalo. I am reminded of him every single time I look at it. And 7 years and over 1600 dogs later, we continue to keep our promise to him. With each new underdog we save, each heartworm positive mama, each mangy puppy, each less than “perfect” dog on the outside … we are reminded that inside, lies the soul of an Underdog. We rescue on, in Toby’s honor ❤️

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