Bucky Barnes' Story

Bucky is a wonderful example of how resilient dogs can be when faced with life’s challenges. Even with a leg amputation, Bucky is a wonderful example of the fulling life a dog can still live.

Read below to hear from his family how Bucky is thriving in his forever home

Bucky Barnes (formerly Willie) came to us in July 2019, after he'd had a rear leg amputation done by Saving Grace. He was full of joy and smiles, and very quickly became our soul dog.

When we first brought Bucky home, he understandably struggled with stairs, and couldn't make it around the block without getting tired. Before long though, he grew tired of us carrying him up and down the stairs, and decided he was going to tackle them all by himself! He quickly gained stamina in all aspects, and built muscle to compensate for his missing limb. Bucky loved playing with other dogs, and sniffing everything in sight on walks.

At the beginning of 2025, we started fitness training with Andrea at One Smart Cookie in Lacombe, and Bucky blew our minds with his abilities! He learned proper stance and posture, balance, and so many tricks. Bucky is the proud holder of both Novice and Intermediate Trick Dog titles, with Masters in both through Do More With Your Dog. Andrea and I were both very impressed with how much Bucky's posture improved, and how much confidence he gained with our work.

He loves doing his fitness work, and gets so excited when his equipment comes out. We plan to continue earning more titles, and progressing through all 7 levels of the Fit-Foundations classes with One Smart Cookie. Bucky continues to surprise both me and his trainer, rising to every challenge we present him with, with a wagging tail and huge smile the whole time.

Outside of the fitness work, Bucky is extremely happy-go-lucky, and brings a smile to the face every person he meets. We are constantly stopped on walks for him to receive pets, and he immediately becomes friends with whoever gives him an ounce of attention.

We are forever grateful to Saving Grace for bringing him into our life!