Buddy the Miracle Lab

Buddy the Miracle Lab Turning pain into triumph Buddy lived a happy life in his little rural neighborhood in northwestern Mississippi. There, his burns were healed.
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Then on the afternoon of April 22, 2021, a neighbor saw him stumbling along the road with an electrical cord tied around his neck and his face badly burned. Because of the severity of his injuries, Buddy was relinquished into the arms of the Tunica Humane Society for medical care. Volunteers for the humane society first brought him to local veterinarians where he was stabilized and provided initial treatment prior to transferring to the Animal Health Center at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After months of intense treatment, he happily went to his forever home with Dr. Betsy Swanson, the veterinary surgeon who led his medical care team at Mississippi State. It turned out that Buddy had been intentionally set on fire by a juvenile. At the time, the State of Mississippi did not allow children under the age of 13 to be charged with a crime. Buddy's story was already in the Memphis news, but this revelation caused it to go viral. Thousands of people followed every step in his healing progress. A petition was started to change the law in Mississippi. After a lot of hard work by a dedicated team of state legislators led by Senator Angela Hill, Buddy's Law was signed into law on May 19, 2022. The law requires that both juveniles and adults who are charged with animal cruelty and torture must undergo psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Turning pain into triumph. Buddy's journey from horror to victory captured the hearts of people from all over the world. He became the face for the voiceless, standing up against and bringing awareness to the issue of animal cruelty. Thanks to all of his supporters, something good came out of something so bad. Buddy now spends his days in love and safety. He loves meeting new and old friends. You may see him around town and as a guest-of-honor at events. Please stop by and say hi on his page! We thank all the wonderful friends who have carried Buddy in their hearts since his story first broke - he wouldn't be here without you!

My favorite thing about the Vet School Open House is hanging out with and meeting the best people all day long! I love a...
04/03/2026

My favorite thing about the Vet School Open House is hanging out with and meeting the best people all day long! I love all of you! Thank you for sharing your pictures! 🩷

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for Buddy Chat! Many of you have asked about the wound on my head. So let’s talk...
04/02/2026

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for Buddy Chat! Many of you have asked about the wound on my head. So let’s talk about healing after being burned.

Q: Hi Buddy. The wound on your head has been looking a bit worse lately. Are you okay?

A: Hi! I’m doing fine. I scratched that place in January and it’s been having some trouble healing. That spot on my head and a second spot on top of my muzzle are where the deep, third-degree burns were on my face. The skin that healed there is scar tissue, and that is more fragile than normal skin. It’s easy to break open the top layers just by rubbing my face a little too hard. My mom was trying a different medication to see if she could get the healing to start up again - it made the wound look a little fresher. But don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt or feel any different.
(The Buddy Cover photo doesn’t show my current wound - please visit my recent posts for updates 😊)

2026 MSU-CVM Open HouseSammy and Glenda drove 2 1/2 hours from Hernando, MS, just to meet me on Saturday! I enjoyed spen...
03/31/2026

2026 MSU-CVM Open House

Sammy and Glenda drove 2 1/2 hours from Hernando, MS, just to meet me on Saturday! I enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know them. They are so sweet and give the best pets!! Thank you for coming to see me. It was an honor to meet you!

Whew! The Vet School Open House was great! I had so much fun. I have a lot of pictures to share. I’ll start with my “cr...
03/29/2026

Whew! The Vet School Open House was great! I had so much fun. I have a lot of pictures to share. I’ll start with my “crew.” Here I am with the Friday and Saturday teams.
For the past 3 years, the Student Chapter of the Emergency and Critical Care Society (SVECCS) have invited my mom and me to be a part of their station for the CVM Open House. Here, visitors learn how to triage an emergency patient, take care of a bleeding wound, and meet with me to learn about my story and the lifesaving care available at the vet school. I really love hanging out with them!

Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Open House is this weekend!Come visit with me on Saturday, M...
03/24/2026

Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Open House is this weekend!
Come visit with me on Saturday, March 28th from 9 am to 3 pm in the SVECCS Exhibit!

Our annual Open House is this weekend! Click the link for more information.

https://www.vetmed.msstate.edu/open-house

Well, we’re still not quite back on schedule with our Buddy Chats, but I like chatting anyway! Here’s today’s question!Q...
03/24/2026

Well, we’re still not quite back on schedule with our Buddy Chats, but I like chatting anyway! Here’s today’s question!

Q: Hi Buddy! What’s your favorite thing to do with your mom?

A: I love doing anything with my mom. My absolute favorite is when we go out and meet new friends. I just love being around people!!
(This weekend I’ll be at the Mississippi State Vet School Open House. Will you come see me??)

HAPPY SPRING, Y’ALL!
03/23/2026

HAPPY SPRING, Y’ALL!


It was a great afternoon for a walk, visiting with neighbors, and rolling in the grass. I was very gentle as we walked s...
03/23/2026

It was a great afternoon for a walk, visiting with neighbors, and rolling in the grass. I was very gentle as we walked so that I wouldn’t hurt Mom’s healing wrist!
What did you do this beautiful weekend?

Thank you to everyone who donated toward Bindi’s care and who prayed for her to get better. Ms. Sandy told me that I cou...
03/22/2026

Thank you to everyone who donated toward Bindi’s care and who prayed for her to get better. Ms. Sandy told me that I could give all of you an update. Bindi was discharged from Mississippi State last Tuesday and is home resting now. She has a long recovery ahead of her, but she’s doing much better than she was a week ago.
They are so thankful for all your support.

I just love to go on car rides!!
03/22/2026

I just love to go on car rides!!

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Starkville, MS
39759-39760

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