When Hoboken resident Hilary Christensen took a walk with her dog Penny on the morning of March 9th, the last thing she expected was to find a dog tied to a fence near Church Square Park. An older pitbull mix was spotted tied to a fence, with no owner in sight. Hilary, not knowing if the owner was coming back or not, waited with the pup — for over an hour — with other residents, as well as called the police + animal control to help find the owners.
If you’ve ever wondered about the power of community, specifically dog lovers, in Hoboken — wonder no more. Now the dog is lovingly known in Hoboken as ‘Buster.’ After a week of adventures in Hoboken, all documented in the local Facebook Group Hoboken NJ Dog Lovers, Buster entered the care of Wise Animal Rescue — and has officially found his forever home. We got a chance to catch up with Hilary, the resident who took Buster in without hesitation and she shared all about Buster’s journey this far in Hoboken.
Updates as of April 8th
Buster has found his forever home! Per the pup’s IG page, Buster is “adopted and adored” by a New Jersey couple, Gabe and Megan. He now resides in Lyndhurst, but “will be sure to still go to yappy hour at the Ale House in Hoboken.” You can see the full Instagram post below.
The post went on to thank Wise Animal Rescue, Hilary, and Alison for taking such great care of Buster after his initial abandonment. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this sweet pup — and keep reading for his full story!
Updates as of March 27th
A small, but adorable update — Buster now has an Instagram! Follow the account @buster_aka_busteroni
here to follow along with Buster’s adventures as he waits to find a forever home.
A Rainy Saturday in Hoboken
Hilary, a tech writer for Google, had been walking her Frenchie rescue, Penny, on their normal Saturday routine, en route to the dog park. Familiar with rescue and having experience with fostering dogs, Hilary knew something was awry and sprung into action.
“We called the police and animal control, and waited with him for over an hour,” she told The Hoboken Girl. “Then, we took him to the vet and got him scanned. He didn’t have a [micro]chip. He had a collar but no tags.” The police said that Hilary could take him to the shelter, or he could be on stray hold in her home [due to shelter overcrowding]. All dogs that are found as strays are required by law to have a seven-day hold, according to New Jersey law.
Read More: The Viral Hoboken Rescue Dog, Milo, Who Stole the Internet’s Heart
“I just knew I couldn’t drop him off at the shelter [but had to follow the rules of the hold]. The shelters are full, and with him being an older pitbull, the chances that he would be forgotten there were pretty probable,” she shared with us. “I dog tested him with my own pup [Penny, a mill mama French bulldog rescue], and he was super friendly. He also loves humans!”
Even while knowing she couldn’t keep Buster for good, Hilary, with the help of another fellow Hoboken resident at the park, took him to her apartment in Hoboken, and Buster’s the Pitbull’s Mile Square adventures officially began.
“When we took him to the vet, we were told that the scars and marks on his arms were from ‘rain rot,’ similar to what horses get who are tied up via chains outside. So it does seem like he was living outside,” she explained. He also had a skin condition that is clearing up quickly from antibiotics. He also barely has any teeth; most are worn down to the gums.
“All that he’s probably been through, yet he’s still such an awesome, mild-mannered dog,” Hilary noted. She noted that she’s been walking Buster around town, and he keeps a stuffed animal in his mouth most of the time. “He also loves to snuggle, and sleeps in bed with us,” she shared. “He’s become a bit of a local celebrity.”
The Power of Community
Hilary was relatively new to the world of Facebook groups but has found that the power of community and support from the Hoboken Dog Lovers Facebook group was immense when she originally posted about the situation.
Immediately after she and another resident posted, there were dozens of messages and residents willing to help.
“I reached out asking about any rescues to help — and found out Jersey Pits was already full. But people were offering up toys, stuffed plushies, bedding, and food,” she said. “Another neighbor [Liza] also just recently lost her Boxer of many years, and kindly offered to watch him when I went out for a work event; she’s kept him overnight for two nights so far when I’ve needed it.”
Other residents offered their services in different ways, with one resident, Yuki Mizuma, taking a photoshoot of Buster for when he would be available for adoption, and Eileen from Pawparazzi contributing a free bath/groom for Buster at her grooming business. “Mike at Hoboken Pet also gave a discount on his harness, and Erica Li [local groomer] also bought him a toy of his choice at Hoboken Pet,” Hilary noted, exemplifying the power of the local community coming together for this abandoned pup.
We got a chance to visit Buster when Wise Animal Rescue was doing its intake, and he is a sweet boy who loves, loves, loves toys, as evidenced above.
How to Help Buster
A GoFundMe was also started for Buster’s medical care and supplies, which has already raised over $4000, and is being matched by Google, Hilary’s employer. All funds will be donated directly to Wise Animal Rescue, who has generously stepped up to take Buster into their foster program as soon as a big dog foster becomes available (apply here!).
See More: This Rescue Spent 700 Days in the Shelter: Now He Needs a Forever Home
Buster will also be available for adoption through Wise Animal Rescue once he goes into their foster program. Prospective adopters can get more info on this rescue and how to adopt Buster here.
“He has a built-in dog sitter in me forever,” Hilary said, lovingly. “He’s just such a good dog, and I can’t wait to see how he ends up in his forever home. The Hoboken dog community has been so amazing; we’re [Buster, Penny, and I] forever grateful.”
