Beagle Paws Rescue Stories

Teddy I can still picture how he looked the first time I saw him - ears swinging, an unusual gangly trot. I was driving home from work on a wet Friday and he was headed in the opposite direction. He would cower as the cars zoomed past, and I knew right away I was in the right place at the right time. I turned my car around and followed him, all the while praying he wouldn't get hit, and gently coaxed him aboard. He was obviously torn between escaping the unknown and getting aboard my warm, comfy car, because he would move away a few steps, then come back when I called him. It took several minutes of gentle persuasion before he finally climbed into the back seat. When we got home he simply refused to get out, so I gave him food and water right there in the car and he settled down for a long nap. Thus began our lives with Teddy.

My husband and I were already the proud parents of a beagle and beagle/dachshund cross. We had gotten them through the newspaper when they were tiny puppies, and they were our pride and joy. As well, over a period of about a year, I had brought home seven lost dogs and kept them until their owners were found. Naturally I assumed this would be the case with this little beagle, and did all the right things to locate his owner, to no avail. He obviously had been a hunting beagle who either got lost or was abandoned. His belly fur was stained brown, he was very thin, his ears were bitten on the tips, suggesting he had been in a recent fight of some sort, and he had terrible ear mites. He was hungry all the time, and until he got some weight on, would wake up at 5 a.m. crying to be fed. He would not take treats from our hands, was afraid of the ball we threw for him, and he cowered every time my husband spoke loudly. He also wasn't house trained! But he was the sweetest little thing, who never made a sound. He would just sit in our kitchen looking completely bewildered.

A few nights after I brought him home, I decided to curl up on the couch with a blanket. Immediately he got up with me, rubbed his whiskery little face all over mine, then, with a contented sigh, settled into my arms for a cuddle. My heart just melted and at that moment I fell completely in love. Teddy was where he belonged. Lots of good food, visits to the vet, and a couple of thorough baths transformed him into a beautiful dog with silky ears and a healthy coat. He was house trained in less than two weeks.

Teddy quickly chose a favourite toy - a kong the other two didn't play with - and carried it around with him everywhere, even into his bed. When no one was available to throw it for him, he would toss it himself, chase it as it bounced, then catch it and start over. He just couldn't get enough play time. Even though he was around a year old, he would follow tight on my heels wherever I went in the house, in the same way the other two did when they were young puppies. He quickly settled into a routine and became a wonderful addition to our family.

I have told you Teddy's story because he was once used for hunting, and while many hunting beagles have caring owners, many others are treated horribly in this province. Even as you read this, there are hundreds of "Teddys" out there living miserable lives in cramped, dirty pens with only wire to stand on, with no opportunity for exercise for months on end. Their lives are totally devoid of stimulation except for when they are used for hunting. Sometimes they are starved or destroyed because of the cost to feed them during the summer months, when they can't earn their keep hunting. They are frequently abandoned when rabbit season is over, and are left to wander the streets. Beagles who end up at the SPCA or Humane Services often have to be put down because few people want to adopt a "hunting" beagle. When I look at Teddy's trusting little face, and picture him in a pen with no toys or space to play in, or without proper food and water, it just breaks my heart. No dog was meant to live its life that way. Please do what you can to help improve this terrible situation. If you're lucky . . . maybe someone like Teddy will come into your life, too.

Teddy's Story - A Tale of a Beagle

by Denise AuCoin