Rescued pit bull's amazing story only missing a proper ending
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

Photo courtesy Kathy Helmkamp/ARV ONE LUCKY POOCH- Buddy, a 2-year-old pit bull, is on his way home to Southern California after a 370-mile trek to the San Francisco Bay area via a dognapper's automobile. After being discovered running free in Pinole, Calif., with his tags still in place, Buddy was picked up by Animal Rescue Volunteers Kathy Helmkamp and Melanie Marshall of Simi Valley.

Buddy may not know it, but despite the fact that he's spent part of his life as a stray and is currently without a permanent home, he's a lucky dog.

After being abandoned by his owners, Buddy, a 2-year-old pit bull, was adopted from the county shelter by the nonprofit Animal Rescue Volunteers of Simi Valley. Under veterinary care, the young male was neutered, given shots and implanted with an ID microchip.

Volunteer Lucinda Ades, following ARV protocol, took Buddy into foster care at her Chatsworth home in April until a suitable family could be found to permanently adopt him. That's when life for the lovable pooch got very interesting.

"Buddy is outgoing and friendly to everybody," Ades said. "He just hasn't met a person or a dog he doesn't like. He thinks he's a golden retriever."

Buddy may also think he's a kangaroo: shortly after going into foster care the young pup jumped the 7-foot fence in Ades' backyard, and thus began what turned out to be a 370-mile doggy adventure from the San Fernando Valley to the San Francisco Bay.

Ades quickly notified the rescue group that Buddy was missing, and volunteers from ARV set out to find the wayward dog. Kathy Helmkamp, president of ARV, was part of the search party.

"We had 10 or 12 volunteers looking for Buddy, putting up fliers, driving around the neighborhood and posting fliers in businesses, fire stations and post offices," Helmkamp said.

The volunteers got a lead on Buddy from children playing in the Chatsworth neighborhood.

"We talked to some kids in the park and showed them photos of Buddy. They said they had seen him," Helmkamp said. "Buddy had come up to kids and was playing ball with them."

The children didn't know what happened to Buddy afterwards.

Helmkamp felt if anyone had found the brown-and-white dog, they would use the information on his tags to return him. If Buddy's collar was missing, a shelter could identify the dog by the microchip.

"We were already of the impression that Buddy had been stolen," she said. "It's a sad thing with pit bulls. People take them to fight or use them as bait dogs for other fighting dogs. It's just a shame because Buddy's such a love. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

The volunteers refused to give up, continuing their search in Chatsworth and notifying shelters from Camarillo to Lancaster. But with no immediate response, it began to look like Buddy might never be found, Helmkamp said.

A week later, a shocked Ades got a phone call from a woman in Pinole, Calif., a city 45 minutes north of Oakland, saying she had found the missing dog.

"At first I thought it wasn't Buddy, but he still had on his collar and tags," Ades said. "I knew someone had stolen him at that point. He didn't walk up there himself."

The caller told Ades she'd been holding Buddy on her porch but that the dog got away.

Ades contacted Pinole Animal Control, and they sent out a truck to look for Buddy. By the end of the day, animal control officer Kristen Mealiffe had the adventurous pit bull in her possession.

The next morning Helmkamp and another volunteer, Melanie Marshall of Simi Valley, set out on what they expected to be a six-hour drive to the Pinole shelter.

But about halfway through the trek, Helmkamp's car broke down along Interstate 5 and had to be towed to Coalinga, a small town an hour outside of Fresno.

Along the way, the tow truck stopped at a country market. The two women saw a skinny Chihuahua mix running around outside.

"We asked the market owner if it was his dog. He said there were 70 or 80 dogs running around," according to Helmkamp, and he explained that many were left behind by migrant workers.

Acting on instinct, Helmkamp, who's been rescuing abandoned pets with ARV for more than a decade, took the dog and named her Mimzy. After renting a car, the women arrived at the Pinole shelter, where they got a tail-wagging reception from Buddy.

Ades has taken Buddy back into foster care, keeping him away from fences and temptation. Mimzy found a new home last week with a Simi Valley family. Buddy is still waiting for the same happy ending.

You can adopt Buddy by visiting the Animal Rescue Volunteers at PetSmart Simi Valley this Saturday between noon and 4 p.m. or by calling (805) 579-8047.