Labrador Buddy Lives Up To Name For Jacob

Loyal labrador Buddy is never far from the side of his owner Jacob, a 10-year-old boy with autism. But their inseparable partnership almost came to a tragic end when Buddy scoffed some chocolates, which can be lethal for dogs.

Their friendship began in July last year, when Buddy joined the family home in Gillingham, Kent. Jacob’s mum, Christine Steady, was keen to find a support dog to help Jacob, who has difficulties socialising and communicating.

“Jacob was very withdrawn, rarely laughed or engaged with us and spent much of his time in his room alone,” said Christine. “It was heart-breaking.

“As Jacob asked for a ‘yellow dog’ I found a local litter of golden labradors. It would have been too overwhelming for Jacob to visit all the puppies together, so we arranged a video call and Jacob spotted Buddy sitting at the back by himself, something I think he immediately identified with.

“Jacob also loved Buddy’s brown nose, so we invited the eight-week-old puppy into our home. I hoped the companionship would help Jacob, but I never could have guessed how much it would transform his life – they are a perfect match! My son has so much more confidence now and he talks about Buddy all the time, which really helps him to socialise.”

But at just eight months old, Buddy got his paws on four Christmas selection boxes and gobbled the lot, leaving no trace of the chocolate treats, only the empty wrappers. Knowing that chocolate can be poisonous for dogs, Christine took him straight to the PDSA in Gillingham, where Buddy was given emergency treatment.

Head vet nurse Jennie Keen said: “Buddy had eaten a lot of chocolate, including two boxes of dark chocolate, which contains a high level of theobromine, an ingredient which is toxic to many animals.

“It was touch and go and we really didn’t know if Buddy would survive. All we could do was give him all the support and care possible to help him flush the toxin from his body, and hope that he was strong enough to pull through.”

Christine added: “Jacob was overjoyed to have his playmate back but is now incredibly protective of Buddy, and Buddy is now extra protective of Jacob.

“Buddy has given Jacob a reason to go outside – they love going to the park and playing football or hide-and-seek in the woods. Jacob also communicates so much more now because he wants to talk about Buddy, and it’s given him more responsibility as it’s his job to feed his dog. Buddy really has turned Jacob’s life around in so many ways.

“When Buddy was sick it would have cost us hundreds of pounds for his treatment, which we just couldn’t have afforded. I’m so grateful to PDSA: they’ve saved Buddy’s life, which has made all the difference to Jacob’s life too.”

PDSA provides free veterinary care for the sick and injured pets of eligible people in need and is funded entirely by the generous support of the public. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.pdsa.org.uk.