News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

**UPDATE** Buster found a ride, thank-you everyone for your help.

Hello Welcome to Williams Lake team,

I wanted to say thank-you for telling me of your site and of the free classifieds.  

I am hopeful Buster will get a ride to his new home near Burns Lake. In the sake of human interest I thought I would tell you a little bit about our Buster.  

Buster was the first born of six boys April 26, 2010.  He is a purebred Border Collie, however when he was born he was born with white pigment rather than black with white as both his parents and all his other siblings are.  During the first 8 weeks of his life he was a normal puppy in every way, he woke for feedings, played with his brother's, ran and jumped and cuddled.  

Before he was 8 weeks old he had already been picked to be placed in a home.  No one knew when he was 8 weeks old and placed in his new home that he was deaf.  Buster was in a home close to Highway 97 south of 140 Mile, he wandered on a couple of occasions to the highway, I now think it was the vibration of the traffic.  On 2 occasions he was picked up off the highway by people passing by and thinking he was in trouble.  

The first time he was picked up he was taken to the Williams Lake SPCA.  The owners were frantic and when he had been missing for about 5 days I got a call telling me he was gone.  I was incredibly sad and upset by this and immediately came down to my computer where I checked the online section of pets found in the Williams Lake Tribune.  To my relief there he was, my husband went and picked him up from the SPCA and he was returned to his owners.  

A week went by and he went missing once again, this time he had tags with his name, address and phone number on them.  He was again picked up by a person passing by and ended up in 100 Mile House this time.  Once again his family were notified and he got a ride back to Williams Lake. It was noticed around this time that Buster may have a hearing problem and vibrations may have been leading him toward the highway.  His new parents loved him to death however felt that his safety was an issue, therefore they told me they could not keep him.  

Buster came home to his birth family.  

After 2 days of having him back home with his family I confirmed that Buster was deaf.  I did some research on the Internet and found out that puppies born with white pigment are rare but it does happen, and most are born with some type of disability, sight, hearing or sense of smell.  I had no idea of this prior to doing my research, I also researched their quality of life, which is no different than any other puppy young or old.  It just means he has to learn sign rather than speech, and he is mastering that quite well.  

Three weeks after Buster came back home I found him a home near Burns Lake with a retired gentleman, perfect, they could spend their time together to learn and grow.  Two months have gone by since Buster came home and we are still trying to find him a ride to his new home. 

Buster is an incredible little guy and loved to pieces in his birth home, he learns more and more each and every day.  We know his new home awaits and he will only grow further.  We just have to get him there.  

Thank-you. 

Lydia Clark
Williams Lake

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