Last night, Bud spent most of the night in bed with Maria and I.

In the early hours, he hopped down to curl up next to Red, and he spent the rest of the night there. He has free reign of the house at night now.

The friendship between these two has gone viral, I guess that doesn’t surprise me. There is something sweet and uplifting about it, it is healing in some ways.

here is a lot of speculation about it online, and I was thinking about it.

I remember hearing a story about Bud from his rescuers. His owner left him outside in a metal pen, where he lived without cover or shelter for most of his life.

His roommate and companion was an older Pug who had also been left out in the pen in all seasons and weather – heat, rain, cold. This was in Southern Arkansas, were it gets dreadfully hot. The two were inseparable.

During one summer heat wave, the Pug another breed sensitive to heat,  died of heatstroke – a neighbor saw the body and heard the story. This was one of the reasons that Friends Of Homeless Animals, the rescue group went and bought Bud from the man for $150.

But was very sick by that time. He survived, but he lost his only companion. He lived along for a good long time after that.

I wondered last night, looking at Red and Bud curled up together in a loving ball, if Bud hadn’t found another complain to replace  his pal, the Pug.

So there’s the ghost of a Pug in our house, I think. It makes sense to me.