"Dixie"
Christmas Eve, 1999. We made our routine late day trip to the barn to check on the horses, cats, and dogs. As we entered the open bay of the barn where we stored the hay for the week’s feeding, we stumbled across a battered and worn-out female beagle. Her feet were cut and bleeding; she was dehydrated and obviously starving. The only sound she made was a small whimper as I picked her up and carried her further back into the barn, away from the cold wind at the entrance.
We made her a makeshift bed from straw and some old shirts; set out a bowl of softened food and some clean, fresh water, and left her to mend.
We had no idea where she came from, or where she belonged. Only that she had found sanctuary (as have so many others) at our humble little farm.
We checked on her through the night. She never ventured off that ratty, scratchy bed. Early on Christmas Day, she made an appearance at front of the barn, still bedraggled, but with a sparkle back in her eyes.
She steadily improved in the coming weeks; gained weight, ate and drank well. And, she stayed right there. She took over the barn, herded the other critters as she saw fit, and ‘schooled’ any of them she thought might need it.
She fit right in.
And, of course...that distinctive beagle bray/bark was music (kinda) to our ears whenever we returned from our errands and other short trips.
In the following three years, she gave us two litters of pups... One whole group (seven) out of the second litter ended up going to a local training operation to become companion pets for developmentally disabled children. They are all still working and doing wonderful work. From the first litter, we have two of them here with us. Our son has one, and the other two went to family friends with small children.
We named her Missy, and she was a truly wonderful light in our lives.
Our deepest sympathy to your family on your loss.
Yeah, I had a beagle that my wife and I rescued. We were driving north on the Taconic State Pkwy towards Albany and we see this Beagle running down the road and we pull over and the dog hops in and she was our dog for the next 11 years. We were not aware what kind of Dog Beagles were because she was really never our dog for the eleven years that we had her. Beagles follow their noses and to hell with the owner. Beagle are working dogs. One time my sister in law brought over a bag of brownies and they were on the table, well Beagle being Beagles she got up on the table and chowed over a dozen brownies down and $1200 dollars later she was better. We loved “Candy Girl” though. She was different than any other Beagle though. She was a very quiet dog. We only heard the common Beagle howl a few times and thats it. Sorry for your loss. God Bless.
Pets have no concept of time. That is why when you take out the trash or go on a week long vacation, you get greeted, by them, the same way when you come back.
I also realized this week that my dog, who is 5, has stopped growing but her tongue has not. When she lays around it now sticks out of her mouth.
Hope this brightens your day some.
FReepgards,
INBN
I used to take a rabbit's foot keychain and drag it around the house to watch her follow the trail.
She was a very lazy dog, but she was very scared of hot air balloons and would sprint for the bushes on the few occasions that one would fly over. We had a lamp fixture in the dining room that was similar to the shape of a hot air balloon. If I made a whooshing sound like the balloons she would stare at the lamp. If we were outside she would stare at the sky.
"Dixie"
I've never had a beagle but I did have two Bassett Hounds, Sydney and Basil. They were brother and sister and they were inseparable. I had to have them both put down on the same day a year and a half ago as they were both in poor health. They were 15 years old and were my best friends and there are still times when I am overcome with sadness.
I recently brought home a puppy from the shelter. I'm not sure exactly what kind of dog she is but she is a joy.
Again my condolences for I know it's not easy.
The only beagle story I have is when my son was just about 2 years old we got him a beagle and decided to let him name it. When it got out of the car he told it to “Go”. So its name became “Go-Go”. I don't know if this is cute to anyone else but me.......
My condolences, it’s hard to lose a pet. It’s a deep love.
For a smile about a beagle, I had a half-beagle, half-boxer mix as a kid who I loved to drive crazy, and it was easy to do. I’d just bring him out onto the front lawn and place a bowling ball in front of him.
He couldn’t figure the thing out - on the one hand, it was like a big heavy rock, and rocks don’t move. On the other hand, if he put his snout into the bottom of the ball where it touched the grass, and shoved with his back legs, it would roll.
This of course, would get him very excited, and he would start to bark at it. Except his snout was jammed shut under the bowling ball as he ran crazily behind it making it roll in front of him.
So he’d just lose his mind, barking and yelping literally through his nose and teeth while shoving the ball all around the lawn and wagging his tail so hard his butt swung back and forth. It was absoultely hysterical and I would roll around on the grass laughing until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
I would add my condolence’s for your loss.
When I was a youngster, my dad got me a beagle—6 wks old. Ears reached all the way to the ground. We like the braying of beagles when they treed something.
We shot a jackrabbit, skinned it, put the pup in the garage, and tied a short rope to the skin. While the pup was inside, we drug the rabbit skin around a serpentine path in the yard, then tossed the rope and skin up into a 5’ high bush where he couldn’t see it.
We let the pup out, he picked up the trail immediately, followed the path all around the yard (nose and ears just skimming the grass), ending up at the foot of the bush, where he just bayed. He’d treed his game.
From there he became a good rabbit hunter.
I’m so sorry. It’s tough to lose any dog but especially hard to lose a beagle. Deepest condolences from me and from Mademoiselle la Princesse de Bigolle.
P.S.: There are thousands of poor unloved beagles who need rescue. Please get a few of them as soon as possible, before they’re put down. They’re such wonderful hounds, they deserve the kind of loving home you can provide.
My beloved Bradley, a beagle, died February 26, 2006, at the age of 17. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him.
I can empathize with your sorrow onto the passing of your Bear. The only consolation I can offer is that the sharp pain now of his loss will be gradually replaced with fond memories of your lives together.
I am sorry to hear about your loss.
I was given a Beagle pup a few years back by a girl I coached on our local home school basketball team. he is the best pet I have ever had. He follows me around everywhere I go at home and is usually resting at my feet while I surf the web or “lurk” here on Free Republic.
He is a “singer” and loves “Chestnuts Roasting By an Open Fire” I have taken him to a local rest home a few times where we “sang” Christmas Carols. I took him with us a few times when I took teens Caroling as well.
I think he would eat himself to death if we would let him.
My kids used to allow him to sleep with them but he hogs the blankets and pillows...so he got demoted to the floor where he covers himself up with his favorite Atlanta Braves blanket.
I believe he thinks I am his dad.
Again I am sorry to hear about your loss and dread that day here at our home.