One night, after working his shift as an operator at the City’s Wastewater treatment plant, Kenneth Printz started to head home, when he and a colleague heard an animal yelping in pain. The two men followed the sound and found a dog tangled up in an old fence and stuck in a drainage ditch.
“We untangled him and put him up by the road and figured he would head on home to the nearby subdivision,” said Printz.
The next morning, however, the dog was waiting for staff outside the front gate to the plant. Pritz and his colleagues contacted the City’s animal shelter to see if the animal was micro-chipped, which he was not, and then preceded to place posters throughout the City looking for his owner. After a few weeks, it was clear the animal had most likely been abandoned.
That was back in 2016. Fast forward to today and “Buddy” the dog is a permanent fixture at the Wastewater Treatment plant. The entire staff chips in to provide him with food, toys, bedding, and regular shots. Buddy is well loved and receives lots of attention, not only by the Wastewater Department, but by those who regularly visit the plant.
“We do a lot of school tours with children and tours with people from other facilities and Cities across the state, and no matter what, Buddy is always their favorite part,” said Printz. “People come back and visit just to bring Buddy a treat.”
Buddy has certainly found his forever home, but there are many dogs and cats at the City’s Animal Shelter that are looking for a permanent owner. If you can provide a home, or foster an animal, consider doing so. For more information click here.