Reportedly mentioned on ‘Bobby Bones’ show
Baxter the dog, formerly Derek the dog, keeps getting the love. Now he has become a symbol of hope and resilience for the Cherokee County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
The Newfoundland mix was found almost dead from bullet wounds in a ditch near Quimby in March. Cherokee County Sheriff Derek Scott rescued the dog and saw that it got to Noah’s Hope Rescue in Sioux City, where they named it Derek.
The sheriff and his family ended up adopting the dog, and changed the name to Baxter, to avoid confusion. But along the big, friendly dog’s long road to recovery, he had to have his right front leg amputated.
Scott said it was Lisa Bringle of the CCSPC who came to him with the idea to include Baxter in the coalition’s float in the Cherokee rodeo parade June 1.
Scott, a member of CCSPC, had no problem saying yes. “They wanted to show that you should never give up,” he explained.
Q: Was Baxter able to make the whole route? He only has three legs. Is the route very long?
A: Baxter actually rode in the front seat of the truck. I did not feel that he would want to walk the entire way. He doesn’t care for walking on a leash as he thinks he’s going to trip and fall. He enjoyed the air conditioning in the truck!
Q: Do you have something to say about suicide prevention being a good cause and Baxter being a good symbol of the will to live?
A: The suicide prevention coalition is a great group of people that want the best for everyone. Baxter is proof that there are better days ahead. He went from dying in a ditch all alone to being loved by everyone that he comes into contact with. We all hope that his message of not giving up can be spread all over! He is the best dog and loves his new chance at life.
Q: Has this been pretty fun having a dog that has become an inspiration? He’s been on TV and got 773 likes on the Noah’s Hope Facebook. Are you surprised at the amount of love coming your/his way? Has anyone else of interest reached out?
A: It has been! He’s a great dog and loves all the attention. No one is a stranger. I am surprised at all the love and attention he’s been getting. I knew he was special, but not like this. I had heard that his story was on the Bobby Bones (nationally syndicated) radio show, but I did not hear it myself. It’s a bonus that he’s been a great family dog too. He’s never had an accident in the house and gets along with all of our other animals. He even gets to sleep in our bedroom by us.
Q: Sadly, I’ll bet he is unable to jump up on the bed or other furniture?
A: He can, he just doesn’t like to. He’s almost overly cautious as he doesn’t like to fall down. He’s so long that he can put the front paw up there and then jump.
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