Fred Red is part Bearded Collie, part Chow and who knows what else. He is one mixed up mutt. He is around 2 years old. Fred came to us during a blizzard in January of 1996. He just showed up in the front yard. The dumb person I can be I went out to check on him. He was packed with snow and ice, you could tell he had been out for quite some time. So I decided to bring him to thaw out. We brought him into the house and put him in front of the fireplace to thaw out a bit then treated his paws for frost bite. We fed him and kept him warm over night and figured we would let him out to find his way home the next day. The second day I called all the places I could think of to see if anyone had reported him missing. But no luck! I had in my mind he had to be someones dog because he was house broke, got along with the cats, kids and the other dogs, and stayed off the furniture. Well, when I let him out he would not leave, we tryed everything to get rid of him all but being mean to him. But no luck! So the second day I decided I would keep him till his owner would come to claim him. So I ran ads in all the local papers let this pet registry (place where you list a dog found or lost) know I had him. So I decided if he would be here for a few days I would take him to the Vet. At the Vet we got all of his shots and had him checked out . They said he was fine had a touch of bronchitis, they sent him home on medicine. Well, about a month went by and no luck with finding Fred's owner. We ran a month's worth of ads. But no luck! Well now that Fred had been here a month we had learned about the bad habits he did have. He steals things, wether it be paper, toys, socks, gloves, or whatever else he may find neat to tear up. He is very aggresive over the food and water dish, and last but not least he is a fence jumper. Well, at first when he jumped the fence it really didn't bother me. Because had always classified him as the neighborhood stray. Untill that one day in May when he jumped and took off. When he returned he was being followed by Animal Control. Of course he jumps right back into our backyard. So at that time I had to decide if I wanted to send him to the pound or keep him. I knew that if he went to the pound he probably would not be adopted because he was full grown and not neutered. So the dumb person I can be I went out and claimed the dog and got two tickets on him. So I really scolled Fred , for whatever that is worth and started putting him on the chain every time he jumped the fence. That slowed him down a bit, but not all the way. In the end of August Fred jumped the fence again. Only to get hung up in it. He ripped his private parts. Needless to say he had to have surgery. When he came home from the Doggy Hospital he had to wear a bucket type thing over his head to keep him from tearing out his stiches. So that is where the name Buckets came from. After 10 days of wearing a bucket he got his stiches out. He is doing well. Back to jumping over the fence. But he is no longer the neighborhood stray. Mr Fred Red Buckets has a new family where he can stay and be loved daily.