Pit Bull That Saved Owner From Fire In Ohio Is Now In Need Of Home, Turned Over To Rescue Group

In a sad turn of events, a hero pit bull is now searching for a new forever home. Buddy the pit bull was hailed a hero just last week when he saved his owner from a house fire. Buddy alerted the Ohio man to the fire allowing the owner time to save surrounding homes. Sadly, saving the owner’s property wasn’t enough to keep Buddy the pit bull from being turned over to an animal rescue group following the incident.

Buddy has had a rough start in life. The Mansfield News Journal reports that, in just two short months, Buddy has been through a whirlwind. Two months ago, a local landlord found Buddy shut up in a home without food and water, left behind by the tenants that once called him family. A neighbor, Jacob Martin, took him in, sparing him from the animal drop-off centers. A month later, Buddy repaid the kindness when he alerted Martin to a fire in the adjacent vacant house at 590 Harold Ave., which Martin was renovating into a car repair shop. Martin lost the rental property, but caught the fire in time to save his and other surrounding homes.

Unfortunately, following the fire incident, Martin was forced to relinquish Buddy. Martin claims he had no other choice and was forced to find Buddy the hero pit bull a new home in just an hour or turn him over to animal control where he could potentially be euthanized if not adopted. Martin did not want to turn Buddy into the animal shelter, so he called a minister who had reached out to Martin the day before.

According to the Mansfield News Journal, Ed Smeyak was a licensed minister who was not currently practicing. However, the day before Buddy was in need of a new home, Smeyak had reached out to Martin to let him know that, if he needed any money for food or care for Buddy, he would be willing to help care for the hero pit bull. At that point, Smeyak gave Martin his card in case he ever needed anything for Buddy.

Not even 24 hours later, Martin was on the phone with Smeyak asking for help finding a home for Buddy. Smeyak did not want to see Buddy go to the animal shelter, but he also did not have room in his home, which already had five rescue dogs living in it. Therefore, Smeyak set out to find Buddy a new place to call home. He started with the Humane Society and the animal shelter, but both were at capacity. Smeyak did not want to see Buddy euthanized, so he looked for more options. This lead Smeyak to dropping Buddy off at the Mercy’s Door Pet Rescue.

Mercy’s Door Pet Rescue posted the following to their Facebook page this afternoon:

“Buddy the hero dog has arrived!! This boy is super sweet he has a head &; face of a pit bull but he has a body like a small bassett hound. He is an amazing small dog with a heart of gold.”

In just two short months, Buddy’s status went from family dog to abandoned, rescued, hero, relinquished, nearly homeless, and now rescued again. Whether or not Buddy the hero pit bull will find the forever home he deserves is still up in the air.