Buddy is a 10-year-old beagle and Jack Russell terrier mix who loves people and chasing squirrels. When he isn’t out for walks with owner Steve Chamberlain, he can most often be found perched at the front window of his Club Drive home watching passersby.

 

The Chamberlains joke that the window is Buddy’s TV. If the pup is barking at a dog walking past, they threaten to “turn off the TV,” i.e., shut the curtains, to quiet Buddy.

 

They adopted him from Best Friends Animal Society. After losing their last dog, a beagle, the family waited about five years before getting Buddy. “I started to look around behind everyone’s back and secretly visit pet shelters,” says owner June. “I found him online. Then I went over there and it was love at first sight.”

 

She told son David (now 16 years old) about Buddy, and the two convinced Steve to go meet the dog. “Everyone fell in love with him,” June says.

 

June’s father used to call him “PowerBall Buddy” because he made it from Skid Row to Club Drive, she notes. While not quite Skid Row which is in Los Angeles, Buddy was found in South Georgia before making his way to the Best Friends shelter and ultimately the Chamberlains’ home.

 

Like most beagles, Buddy is food-centered and gets several treats a day. He especially likes pup cups from Dunkin’ or a Puppuccino from Starbucks. A great day for Buddy starts with a trip to Starbucks with Steve, says June.

 

Buddy has managed to chase off the toads that used to live in the Chamberlains’ backyard and jump into their pool. But before the amphibians disappeared, Buddy found out the hard way that he couldn’t or didn’t like to swim. One night shortly after getting Buddy, June let him out at close to midnight. A toad jumped in the nearby pool and Buddy followed. The pup started floundering and June, in her nightgown, jumped in to rescue him.

 

While he has won over the Chamberlains’ hearts, Buddy also often charms walkers and drivers on Historic Brookhaven’s roads. People pull over and want to see him, June notes. The lively canine prefers humans to other dogs.

 

“He is a very sweet dog,” June says. “He sleeps with us and always wants to be with us.”