We love to hear from stories from our adopters! Each one of these beagles touches our lives in a special way - hearing the "Happy Tails" makes everything we do worthwhile! Below are just a few examples of some of our happy beagle tails!
Read all of the Happy Tails by paging through them below (stories are listed from newest to oldest) or click on a name to go to a specific article.
Do you have your own Happy Tail story about adopting a B.O.N.E.S. beagle that you'd like to share? Please send it, along with any pictures, to happytails@bonesbeagles.org.
In July 2004, B.O.N.E.S. was contacted about a Beagle Boy in need of a new forever home. A plea went out to the B.O.N.E.S. volunteers with a list of Beagles in need of foster homes. Rufus was one of them.
RUFUS - 7yo male, very sweet, laid back and quiet. Rufus was found tied to the front door of a shelter, so we have no formal background on him. The shelter staff loves him and reports him to be clean in his kennel(probably house trained) and very easy going. Rufus is good with other dogs and cats.
For some reason when I saw the post for Rufus, it touched my heart, I had fostered in the past but usually females since the senior male of the house "Gus" did not like to share his space with other senior males. Gus had passed away very suddenly in July of 2003 and I was very much missing him since it was coming up on the anniversary of his death.
I contacted Leanne Parks, B.O.N.E.S. Intake Coordinator and inquired about Sir Rufus. The transport was arranged for Saturday July 10th 2004 and I was going to be a guest at the home of another great B.O.N.E.S. volunteer Yvonne Vecchia, our Foster Supply Coordinator. Ann Joyce, yet another B.O.N.E.S. volunteer, offered to do the last leg of the transport since she lived close by to Yvonne.
When Rufus and Ann arrived at Yvonnes's, we all went out to greet him. My first thought was "what a handsome boy!" My second thought was "Hmmmmmm, he looks a little older than 7." Poor Rufus could not walk very well, his back end was pretty weak and he had rotten teeth and dirty ears. I could not wait to get him home and give him a bath and have my vet check him out. I helped him into my car and he curled up in the back seat and off we went on our new adventure together to Martha's Vineyard Island, MA where I live.
My vet fit us in right away and informed me that Rufus was probably about 12-14 years old. Anyone that knows me, knows I have an affinity for the senior Beagles as my very first rescue was Baxter who could have been as old as 15..another nice person that called BREW NE to say she had a 7-8 year old stray Beagle at her home:) Needless to say Baxter spent his last nine months of life with me and my vet has fond memories of him too. She saved his life in the middle of the night, giving him another 6 months to live..and boy did he make the most of those 6 months.
Everyone knew that Rufus would soon be a member of the Amaral Clan. Everyone except me that is. Mind you I already had 3 Beagles and a Mini Dachshund (another 2 foster failure Beagles) at home so I had no intention of having a fifth dog. Poor Rufus had 2 seizures right at the vet's office that day after they cleaned his teeth and ears and got him all dolled up. He had a cancerous growth removed from his chin and needed the stitches out for that. He tested positive for Lyme Disease and went on Antibiotics and we later discovered he had a severe hernia that caused blockages for him so he had to be on a special laxative as well as seizure medication. He also had a heart murmur that was just about as bad as it gets.
It was not looking too good for Sir Rufus. However, with the right medication and lots of TLC from me and the Amaral hounds, he started to feel better and become more youthful.. He started playing like a puppy again with my youngest B.O.N.E.S. Beagle, Miss Ally. They became instant best friends and have been inseparable ever since. Needless to say on 10/31/04, I officially adopted Rufus. I wondered why no one was surprised when I told them the news.
Recently Rufus had to go on 2 different heart medications for Congestive Heart Failure but that has not slowed him down at all. He still plays with Ally like crazy and races around the back yard howling at anything that catches his scent drive, and that is just about everything! He is a true hunter! Boy does he have an old hound dog bark....I thought they said he was quiet..NOT!
I am looking forward to July 10, 2005 as we will have one heck of a celebration for Rufus' first anniversary as a member of the Amaral pack. Perhaps Yvonne will invite all of us to her house so we can have a reenactment of his original arrival!
Rufus had quite the fan club on the website as I posted many pictures of the progress he was making. I got so many emails when he was sick and he was taken off the website for awhile. Before long he was back by popular demand! Thanks to all who sponsored Rufus and sent well wishes during the last year. He really appreciates it!
I truly believe that it was fate that brought Rufus into my life. I think Gus and Baxter had a little to do with it. I cannot imagine life without him now. Nothing like a Senior Rescue Beagle to put a little "hound" in your heart!
Sincerely,
Pam, Gerty, Oscar, Annie, Ally and Rufus Amaral