Imagine walking your dog in the park and stumbling upon a piece of history that tugs at your heartstrings. That’s exactly what happened to Zach Medlin during a regular outing with his dog, Serena, in Kiroli Park, West Monroe, Louisiana. But here’s where it gets interesting: this wasn’t just any old discovery. Medlin found an 80-year-old dog grave that left him teary-eyed.
Now, Serena, a one-eyed Staffordshire terrier, was more into chasing ducks around the lake, but Medlin was drawn to something else. Hidden under a blanket of fallen leaves and pine needles, he found a small square stone. As he cleared the pine straw off the inscription, a simple yet touching message was revealed: “Buddie, 1928 — 1941. Born a dog / Died a gentleman.” Talk about a heart-melter, right?
This discovery got Medlin thinking. Why was this beloved dog, Buddie, buried alone in a massive 160-acre public park? The inscription alone told him that Buddie was no ordinary pup but a cherished family member.
The local around the park adds a bit of mystery to the tale. It’s said that Kiroli Park used to be a Boy Scouts summer camp and that Buddie was their four-legged mascot. Legend has it that Buddie once saved a boy from drowning in the lake by barking to alert the Scouts. Sounds like a heroic tale, doesn’t it?
But hold your horses — there’s a twist. Lora Peppers, writing on Findagrave.com, dug a bit deeper and found some interesting info. Turns out, Buddie was an Irish Setter owned by Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Jones. The Joneses lived in Monroe, and Mrs. Dee Strickland, who lived with them in 1932, spilled the beans. Buddie loved running around in Kiroli Park, and when he passed away, Mr. Jones chose the park as his final resting place.
So, while the Boy Scout rescue story might be more legend than fact, one thing’s for sure — Buddie was a beloved dog, so much so that his memory has been preserved for over 80 years. Medlin’s discovery reminds us of the timeless bond between humans and their furry friends. Here’s to Buddie, the dog who was ‘born a dog but died a gentleman.’