Buddy is a 9-year-old mixed breed collie. I adopted him in November 1999 from the Northeast Animal Shelter as part of their Flying Puppy Program. He was from a litter of 7 or 8 pups rescued from Lincoln, Nebraska. The folks at the shelter said he was a mix of Brittany Spaniel and Shetland Sheepdog and would grow to be around 35 pounds when mature. Nope. He looks like a short-haired collie and he weighs around 70 pounds. He's affectionate, loyal, in great health, and loves to play fetch. So, why am I looking to re-home him? Because I love him. I got divorced 3 years ago and I got custody of Buddy. My two boys (then 3rd grade and 7th grade) grew up with Buddy. We all got along great! Then, I met a new love. We decided to combine families. She had two daughters (then kindergarten and 3rd grade). Buddy realized he could "move up in the pack" by dominating the littlest kindergarten girl. One day, she was running around the house and Buddy followed his herding instincts and nipped her in the face. We hired a trainer. Tried our best, but Buddy's instincts overcame our laziness. He nipped her in the face twice more. My partner, rightfully so, said "You go or the dog goes." Trying to make the best of the situation (and keep Buddy a part of my boys' lives), I found a foster family willing to care for Buddy for two years. I hoped things would be different when the littlest girl grew a bit taller and became more assertive with Buddy. Well, the two-year foster contract is up at the end of this month. The foster family has two other dogs and they don't want to keep another dog in their family. My partner is still VERY anxious about Buddy coming back to live with us. So, I'm doing what I should have done two years ago, find a PERMANENT home for Buddy. The past two years have been great for him. He's gotten much more socialized around other dogs AND people. He's gotten plenty of exercise. But, he needs stability...the kind of stability he can only get in a long-term caring circumstance. Of course, I'd love it if we could stay in touch with Buddy, or visit occasionally, or take him when you go on vacation. But, he'll be YOUR dog. If you want to rename him or for us not to see him again, I'll understand. It'd be great if you could send us a picture every so often, though. And, I'd certainly help pay for any vet visits that might come up down the road. This is hard. I raised him from a puppy. I don't want to see him go. But really, I just want to make sure he's happy and healthy and with someone who'll love him. Is that you? Do you know someone who can help? Please write and tell me what I can do to find a happy home for Buddy. Location: Brookline it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests mass