Meet Noah. Noah is the first Bear’s Buddy. Noah is 10 years old and was brought into a New York Veterinary Hospital due to severe hair loss and raw irritated skin. He was diagnosed with bacterial pyoderma, furunculosis and malassezia dermatitis. Due to his age and the ongoing costs of treatment, his owners made the difficult decision to euthanize Noah. The hospital knew Dr. Atkinson and had heard that she and her husband Keith had started a sanctuary for hospice and geriatric animals in Western Canada called Bear’s Buddies. They reached out and told us about Noah. We immediately said yes to bringing him to the sanctuary and Dr. Atkinson flew with Noah from New York to Bear’s Buddies on Vancouver Island. Noah was in constant discomfort and pain from his conditions but was an amazing travel companion for Dr. Atkinson. Treatment was started immediately and his physical condition improved dramatically, matching his vibrant and loving personality. Noah not only connected with Dr. Atkinson and Keith but immediately picked their 14 yr old son, James. Noah picked James as his human and loved nothing more than to be by his side and getting lots of cuddles. Noah quickly built a brother / sister relationship with the furry ambassadors of Bear’s Buddies, Laverne and Shirley. Noah has his moments of being cantankerous, as most old men do, but they are rare and he is a delight to be around. Noah has had such an amazing transformation since coming to the sanctuary and is happily living his best life. Thankfully, it was his age and a treatable issue that brought him into the Bear’s Buddies family and not a life threatening condition so we look forward for years of Noah’s loving and amazing personality.
