AMERICUS — Debra Sloan, 48, stands outside the front of her house, with a warm, inviting smile, “Hey, how are you!”

Behind her, the roar of what one might think to be a gigantic lion sounds. “He only sounds vicious.”

He being her 11 year old, 97 pound Lab, named Bud. “He is not the most sociable animal, but I think, if you come in with me, he will be fine.”

Bud greets the stranger at the door with several sniffs and nudges with the head. He is a big dog with big paws and a big nose and a big mouth. He has been featured in the United States Humane Society Desktop Calendar, the 2007 WALB Pet of the Month Winner, Winner of the 2008 Americus Times Recorder Superstar Pets Calendar, and most recently, the “Marley and Me Contest winner.”

He is an AKC registered yellow lab, but is referred to as a “redbone” because of the red coat, gold eyes, and flesh-colored nose. His best friends are a Siamese cat named, Bleu, who lives in the home with him, and an outside cat named KitKat. He loves visiting his veterinarian, Dr. Bill Reeves. According to Sloan, “Bud will literally pull you into the office to see Dr. Reeves and Ginger.”

Very protective of his domain and his companion, Bud positions himself between Sloan and the visitor as they walk out to the deck of the Sloan home.

Sloan, who serves as the administrative assistant to the Athletic Director at Georgia Southwestern, moved to Americus as a child, and she grew up wanting to be “a Vet. My dad was a vet. He worked with the USDA, so he pretty much worked with hogs and cows.”

“He pretty much trained me to be a tomboy. I hunt and fish, always have, and always will,” said Sloan, giving Bud a treat from a bag.

It was through her love of the outdoor activities that she came across Bud. “My ex-husband and I were still married, and we were attending the Americus Ducks Unlimited auction in 1998.”

“Bud was up for auction. He was 7 weeks old, and weighed 20 pounds. I think the bid we won him with was $450.”

Sloan brought him home, and says she, “We just bonded.”

The two bonded so much so that when she went through her divorce, “I just tried to figure out a way that I could keep him and our cat. One day, my husband asked what it would take for me to not take the fridge and another appliance, and I said, let me have Bud and the cat.”

Laughing, Sloan said, “We even put it in our divorce papers that I got custody of the animals.”

Born October 3, 1998, Bud has been an active part of Sloan’s life and a favorite with her family for a number of reasons.

Chewing on a bone at the bottom of the ramp, build because Bud’s arthritis made climbing up and down stairs hard for him to be able to enjoy the outdoors, Bud’s head perked up.

“You know we’re talking about you, don’t you?”

“Sometimes, I think he can read my mind,” said Sloan, smiling, “he is such a pleasure to have. He loves me unconditionally, even if I screw up.”

“All an animal wants is to be fed, given water and loved. He will eat before I will.”

“Bud reacts to things, and at times, I used to call my son his little brother, and he seemed to know who I was talking about. He knows the words “cookie,” “bath,” “Nanny,” and “Bleu” and “KitKat,” which are his cats.”

Very protective of Sloan, Bud resides in the house with his owner and the cats, and only ventures outside when she is at home. “There is not much he is afraid of, well, except for storms.”

When the tornado came to Americus in 2007, Sloan recalled, “I was at home, and on the cell phone with one of our coaches who was in Columbus. It was at the time that one had hit there. They were staying there, and she told me she would call me back to check on me, because the radar showed this area to be in the red.”

“I remember slamming my cell phone shut, in fact, I think I threw it. I heard the ‘train,’ and grabbed him by the collar, and rain into the hall. By then the fight was on, the wind was knocking the house around, the trees, and he was trying to get away from me.”

“I didn’t realize it until after we got our next storm that he was scared. He will start pacing back and forth, panting and will work himself up in a frenzy, and tries to become a lap dog, but then he gets okay after the worst is over.”

Bud looks at Bleu, the cat, who saunters over to see what he is chewing.

“Now, that is a conversation going on there. Bud thinks Bleu wants some of his bone.”

Walking around the back yard of the home with Bud following close behind, Debra Sloan smiles, “He is my best buddy.”

What a great buddy to have!

Congratulations to Debra Sloan and Bud for being the winners in the ATR Marley and Me contest. They won a book, dog toy and special snacks from Pedigree.