In loving memory of Brandy Abely - July 26, 1992-Dec 27, 2008

Jan 1994 - I had just bought my own home as an adult and wanted a beagle.  I told a few friends I was looking for a beagle of my own who told me about you a 1 ½ year old beagle that shared my birthday.  The night I was supposed to go meet you it started to really snow….they asked if I could re-schedule… I said please no. I have 4 wheel drive..I just know she is the right dog for me.

I drove to Somerville that night and met with the ACO. You ran into the room all full of energy and those big ears.  I loved you from that moment.

The next 15 + years flew right by. We did so much together. Your OCD and anxieties we worked on till you were happy.

One of your many accomplishments was pet therapy with the MSPCA visiting the Billerica Nursing home once a week with Pebbles. They really loved you there.

Another was a teacher. To those beagles I helped to foster in rescue your confidence helped them to feel secure. This was especially the exception with Pebbles, a real wreck, who went on to stay on and become your very best friend/sister by breed for the last 15 + years. Charlie who you also welcomed and who you gave confidence to.

In May 08 your health had started to decline  We did acupuncture which gave you a good summer and fall. In Sept you welcomed back Timex who loved to wash your ears. This made you happy.

Last Jan you took under your wing Charlotte a 6 pound 4 month old beagle puppy. You loved her from the start and taught her so much.

With BONES your home visits and BARK events(in Pelham you always seemed to get in the local newspaper) you gave back and helped many other beagles find good homes.

Hopefully your legacy will live on in the lives both human and furry you touched.

That last day I knew I was giving you the final gift I could give to you. Peace from your illness that although your mind was strong your body was worn.

I held you in the beautiful blanket I had made for you as you passed on whispering how much I loved you and that I would always miss you.

Caroline

In Loving Memory of Baxter Beagle

He may have been the oldest living Rescue Beagle in history. Baxter only lived nine short months with us before he crossed the bridge,. (March 2002-December 9 2002) but I do believe they may have been the best 9 months of his life. He taught us the true meaning of unconditional love as only a Senior dog can. They are so grateful for a second chance to live out their golden years in dignity. Baxter touched the hearts of everyone he met and we continue to honor his memory by rescuing more Senior Beagles in need.

We love you and miss you sweet Baxter.
Pam, Gerty, Annie, Oscar and Ally Amaral

Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you...
I loved you so - "twas Heaven here with you.

Daisy 1989-2004

Fifteen years ago, Daisy become our first foster failure. During the years she shared her life with us, Daisy was my husband's sidekick, the Taney family ambassador to many, many foster animals, attendee of countless shelter events as a shelter ambassador and shamelessly exploited her beagle talents to relatives, friends and other animals. She is dearly missed.

Bill & Susan Taney

In Loving Memory of Libby Loo Brew Benn
March 16 - September 15, 2003

She came to us to spend her final days as she battled lymphatic cancer. Her time with us was too short, but we managed a summer of weekly fishing trips with lunch on the beach and a chance to wade. Libby Loo taught us all about endearing love and trust and the grace to accept life's lot with dignity. She was mourned deeply by her loving sister Elsey Mae as our hearts rejoiced that she had found freedom from her sickness as she crossed the Bridge. You will always have a most tender place in our hearts, precious Libby Loo.

Thank you for the life lessons and love we shared.
Nancy, Butch, Elsey Mae and Charlie Hoo.

MOXIE (aka: Mini-me-fur-animal or Pea Wiggle)
With us 13 August - 31 August 2004

"... sugar and spice and everything nice..."
That's what this tiny beagle girl was made of. She came to us a nervous ball of energy with a hind end that never stopped wiggling. She learned to snuggle in our necks as if she were a baby seeking security and love in the big world that hadn't treated her too kindly. Moxie didn't walk - she pranced; and she would carry the biggest of stuffed toys as she paraded through the house. Her antics with her foster brothers and sister kept us with constant smiles on our faces as our hearts filled with the endearing qualities of the "little beagle who would never give up." In the end, Moxie became our "God-given foster failure" and we will treasure every memory of this precious bundle of beagle.

You are missed and loved so much wee one,
Mommy, Daddy, Elsey Mae and Charlie Hoot Benn

In Memory of Boomer

Boomer was a sweet, loving old fellow looking for a forever home to retire in. He left us before he found that home but he has found another at the Rainbow Bridge. He is playing with all the other great dogs that have gone on before him.

Brandi

We’re thankful for all of the funny stories we have during the short time we had her with us. (Last summer a huge rabbit ran by her once, turned around and ran by her again before her beagle nose kicked in and she “arrooed” up a storm and just a couple of nights ago she snagged a mouse that the cats had cornered and been ‘playing’ with for hours…she was our best mouser!) We quickly became addicted to getting her kisses when we came home or for no reason at all and how they made grown-up people giggle. Her ‘separation anxiety’ meant she was my shadow and I’ll miss her everywhere.

Here is a favorite photo of Brandi doing what she loved…keeping warm in a sunspot, next to the woodstove, nestled in the cat (Yo-Yo’s) bed while Yo-Yo used Brandi’s bed.

Mickey and Kathy Webbert

Mickey shared his life and was loved by Kathy Webbert, a special young woman that was involved with beagle rescue. She fostered many beagles, helped with transports and always did so with a happy heart even though she was fighting her own battle with ovarian cancer. Kathy lost her battle with cancer and Mickey was adopted by a caring family that took him in when they knew he needed a new home. Mickey recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge and his new family misses him very much. We like to believe that the two are together again, healthy, happy and once again, enjoying each others company.

Neither will be forgotten by those whose lives they touched.

The BONES Family & Mickeys adoptive family, the Letourneau/Parsons

Dina

I adopted a beautiful beagle from BONES (BREW at that time) in April of 2003. Her name was Dina and she was 8 years old when we adopted her. She just left us yesterday..October 8, 2005 after only 2 1/2 short years. In the time she was with us she changed my life. She loved me so much and was so attached and loving to me. There has never been a more special dog to me. She was my Dina girl and I loved her so much. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I will ever survive without her soft "aroooooo" greeting when I get home or her non-stop wagging tail or feeling her snuggled up next to me on the bed at night. She was my little shadow everywhere I went. She was such a blessing to me and I'm sure she had a wonderful 2 1/2 years while she was part of our family. I only wish it could have been more, but she will always stay here in our hearts.

We love you and will miss you so much sweet Dina girl...you may be gone but you will never be forgotten...

Joey and Stacie Roberts and Emilee
Spooky, Lily, Bear, Tigger and Emily (our other pets who will never forget you).

Teddy Abely
May 22, 1990- September 28, 2005

Who knew on that day in May, 1995 while I was doing beagle rescue that I would answer a call from MSPCA Boston about an older un-cut male beagle with bad cherry eye on death row. They asked if I could come get him. Who would have known that I would have ten glorious years with a wonderful and very special beagle named "Teddy". I succumbed to foster failure with the help of my other dogs Brandy and Pebbles who loved Teddy, and Tucker the Dalmatian loved him, too.

As the years went by we loved him more and more. In 1998 we moved to a large farm in central MA where Teddy loved to run the field and sniff the stone wall in hopes of catching a chipmunk with the other beagles.

If love could have kept you here you’d still be with us Teddy. At 15 and 4 months old Teddy lost his battle with Congestive heart failure. He was laid to rest by the stone wall near the lilac bushes were he loved to sniff for chippys. His last meal was a can of the forbidden 9-lives cat food he loved too sneak when he could.

Teddy was a very loved and is a very missed family member.

Billy Beagle
With Us: March 31, 2002 - December 15th, 2005

From the time I saw Billy Beagle on the BREW website, I knew that he was "my" dog. My mother was concerned because he was older (between 8-10) and had some medicial issues - he had been in foster care a LONG time because of this - but I knew that he was my dog from the moment I saw him. On March 31, 2002, I took the day off work to drive the 3 hours to see Billy, and right then, I knew it was right. I took Billy home that day, and that is when our lives together began.

Billy lived the last 3 years, 7 months and 15 days of his life in relative spoiledness. He had multiple beds - one for all the different seasons - a large wardrobe of bandannas for all occasions, and "grandma" who constantly fed him table food. Never the most energetic of beagles, Billy was content to snooze in his bed most of the time and go on the occasional walk or ride in the car. Still, when he got goofy, he got REALLY goofy, giving us a good laugh. And he greeted me at the door every night with his eyes happy to see me - missing that is proving to be the most difficult now.

Billy was my first beagle and is the reason I am involved in the rescue now. I know that the day will come that Billy will send me another beagle to love and for right now, I am happy to be involved in the rescue of so many of his beagle friends.

For Petey 2002-January 2006

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, you found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea.
You were thinking of the many times your hands reached down to me.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "It's me."
You looked so very tired as you sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you everyday,
To say with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over...I smile and watch you yawning
and say "good night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...then come to be with me.

Author unknown

In Loving Memory of Sir Rufus
BONES Beagle and beloved Amaral clan member
7/10/04-01/13/06

Sir Rufus touched the hearts of many the day he became a BONES Beagle. As fate would have it Rufus found his way to the Amaral clan on 7/10/04. He lived each day to the fullest even with all his medical challenges. Each day with Rufus was a gift and he was an inspiration to everyone he met. We were fortunate enough to have a year and a half together. We will never forget his kind soul, loving spirit and unconditional love. Rufus will live on in our hearts forever. Hopefully many other sensational seniors can be rescued to honor his memory.

We love you and miss you every day sweet Rufey and we will never forget you! Pam, Gerty, Oscar, Annie and Ally Amaral

Ginny

Ginny came to BONES from Libbys Senior Haven While in foster care with a loving family, some old tumors came back and were diagnosed as cancer. Her foster home cared for her and loved her until the end. We are very happy to have provided for Ginny in her last days and given her joy in her short time with us.

Buddy
5/99 to 6/06

Poor Buddy lost his battle to Lymphoma on June 14, 2006. He was our only foster failure. Never did we ever regret keeping him. He was so kind, gentle and patient. He always knew his place in the pack and never tried to push his way in.

After a call from Leanne to break out a beagle who was on death row I raced to the shelter to pick him up. He had a slight heart murmur and was labeled "unadoptable". After six weeks in a cage on a cold cement floor they decided his time was up.

I took him home in November of 2003 and we fell in love with him instantly. We never understood how anyone could get rid of such a fine dog. My girls, Hanna and Clover took to him immediately.

It was a sad day for so many of us as we made the painful decision to put him to rest. He struggled to the end but it was in his eyes when I looked at him that I knew his body was just giving up.

We will always love Buddy and words can not say how much he will be missed. Thank you to the Bones family for all your prayers and support during this very difficult time.

Sandi, Stan, Hanna and Clover

T-Bone
2006

You entered our home only a short 9 weeks ago. You were a part of our family from the start. We loved you from the minute you were born. To your soft little howl, to your pulling on my shoe strings, to your wonderful puppy breath, and to the soft little puppy kisses. You touched out hearts in a special way.

We love you T-bone.,
David and Jill

Tucker Abely
September 1992 – March 2007

Although Tucker, a black and white Dalmatian, was not a beagle he was an active beagle rescue volunteer! In his capacity as Foster Guidance Counselor at the Abely home, Tucker helped foster many, many beagles. He was the first dog I'd put with fosters and he did great with them: helped them to adjust to new surroundings and a good home life. Tucker shared his home with three beagles Teddy, Brandy and Pebbles and made a mission of keeping all beagles he knew well exercised. Tucker was one of a kind, half human, half cat and he loved his cats with a passion.

In his world the best things in life were:

Riding in the truck to get hay, pig ears, tennis balls, grooming “his” cat Roscoe P., baby chicks in the spring, “his” couch, “his” woodstove, his ears cleaned, trail rides with the horses- especially Sugar, “his” farm since 1998, being photographed, the bank (AKA dog bone dispenser), and especially: going to work with me on Fridays.

Tucker was my best friend since the day I saw him. He got his canine good citizen at 9 months old, was therapy dog certified at 1 ½ years old. At Children’s Hospital, in Boston where he went once a month, he would patiently sit on a chair next to a sick child while they had their picture taken. The children called him Pongo. Tucker was also an international traveler, joining me to visit my family on Prince Edward Island. He particularly loved the ferry ride. He loved to sit in the driveway and look down the road starting at 4:15 each day waiting patiently for me to return from work and I will miss seeing him there!

I'm proud to have him on the tribute page so that I can share his wonderful life with others. Tucker was my special furry friend, who accomplished a great deal in his 14 ½ years and lived his life to the fullest. His passing is a huge void in the lives all that knew him.

Lucy

Lucy,, age 13, our sweet beagle left us on Patriots Day. She suffered from bladder cancer that went into her kidneys. It seems like just yesterday we met Lucy at her foster home. She was 9 years old, overweight with a heart condition and socially did not liked to be picked up to cuddle. By the end of the first summer with our active family life and a commitment to her diet, brought a smaller belly; she began to enjoy being held and would run around the house like a puppy for short sprints. She was great in the boat and loved to bark with a wagging tail at any large dog that crossed our path. She died at our home just nine days after her Grandpa Tom passed from a long illness. We know they are together in blessed companionship.
We want to thank BONES for leading us to Lucy.....you were so correct - she was a perfect match for our family.

The Greers

Little Autumn, with the soft, velvet ears, What where you thinking, as you sat there, Nose to the wind, calmness in the air.
Did you know, it was your final moment, The end of a life, as you knew it. Did you know, that morning, you did a terrible thing, So natural to your kind, you, being a hound dog. It would be your final gesture, That of your telling us, who you really were, Not one of us, but one born to be wild. Little Autumn , with the soft velvet ears, Forgive us, for condemming you to death, A death you don't deserve, Dictated by our human world, not by your world. A world where survival means to protect oneself, Regardless.
Forgive us dear Autumn
For we are only HUMAN.

Baby Girl aka Angel

This beautiful and classy lady touched so many hearts in the brief time she was in the BONES family. Below are just a few of the thoughts and impressions from those who had the pleasure and privilege of being with her for even a short time............

Mary Clare Springer – Leg 1

My family was the first leg of the transport (we picked her up from the shelter) and she kept us laughing the whole trip with her unique little beagle bark. I am very saddened at this news, but am glad that BONES was able to make her last days happy and filled with love.

Leg 3 – Lisa Di Nicola

Your tiny sweet face and beautiful eyes will be in my heart forever. The moment I saw you on that hot sunny day I knew you were special. I wanted to take you home and smother you with kisses and pure love. You tiny little body and gray fur reminded me of my little Annie.

You climbed into my car relieved by the cool air and took a short nap. You still had the BEAGLE in you to look out the window and give me a good howl.

I know you are in a better place but am sad you left ours.

Please look for Annie the Beagle Girl at the Rainbow Bridge she is with Jasper and the rest of our beloved pets. They can show you the best places to sniff, howl and rest in the eternal sun. She will introduce you to the Angels whose only job is to give belly rubs and hide treats in the rolling green hills.

Leg 4 – Tina Bellomy

Baby Girl Angel, I only knew you for a couple of hours, but I am so fortunate to have spent that time with you. You were dainty, delicate, and feeble; yet I could tell there was a bit of spunk left in you. You had a wonderful little girl bark that announced you were there and we should pay attention. You rode quietly in the back seat of my car but when I slowed to go through the Toll Booth on the Mass Pike, you sat up and paid attention. At the transport stops you were interested in walking about, sniffing, having a snack and seeing what each new area had to offer. You have enriched all of us that met you………………….

Foster Mom - Joyce Armendaris

Baby Girl certainly deserved two and a half days of hugs, pets, wet
food, lots of water, more hugs and pets and a nice soft comfortable
bed for naps and overnights, and more love. Unfortunately there was
virtually no quality left for her so she's in a better place - but
what a trooper and sweetheart and I has happy to care for her.
THANK YOU to all of you who were part of the transport and care.

Jasper

What can I say. I loved him unconditionally. He loved us the same way. We first met Jasper (aka Mr. Dawg, Jasper H. Dawg, Lumpy Stumpy, Baby Baby, etc) at the Beagle Bash last October (2006). He was very quietly standing next to his Foster Mom Sandy O'Neill wearing his little orange vest asking someone to adopt him. I was in love with him at first sight to be sure. I spent a good amount of time squatted next to him chatting quietly and I just know I understood him to say, I want to go home with you Dan.

Our adoption counselor Coco had ultimate patience with us steering us in all good directions for a number of wonderful dogs. I kept going back to Mr. Dawg even though we had been told he had a few “quirks” that we needed to be aware of. Fine, we knew now --- and we STILL held out for Jasper. Through the good efforts of several folks at BONES, we made Jasper a part of our family and picked him up the day after Christmas 2006.

From the moment he graced our house with his presence for the first time, he made our house his. And rightfully so --- he was joining our family. He took his first nap with us stretched out across Tina's lap on the couch. He took his last nap with me curled up next to me with his head on my leg. The evening of his passing, Tina took him on what was to be his last walk with us. After the fact, she said that as sick as he was --- and as much pain as he was in, he did not want to come back in the house from that walk. It was like he knew it was his last.

Mr. Dawg was a constant source of love, cuddles and pleasure during his all too short time with us. We had him one day less than six months. Our only solace at this point is that he had a darned fine six months of love, walks, food, cuddles, belly rubs --- did I say love? Yeah, guess I did. It's hard to see the computer through the still present tears as I write this.

He loved us and enjoyed being with us. He let us know that in so many ways. I only pray that we showed him in enough ways how very much we loved him and cherished his presence in our family. He was so VERY VERY special and I will love him always……………we'll see you again one day Mr. Dawg and I know you will be wagging that stump of a tail just knowing that daddy has a treat in his pocket.

Dan and Tina Bellomy

Castine

Castine came into our home five years ago. She was a BREW beagle who had a very rocky beginning. She was rescued in northern Maine by Leanne. With her dedication and that of Veazie Vet, this poor little dog was given a second chance. According to Leanne, she didn't know if she was going to ever have any "life" in her eyes again...she had that vacant stare like she didn't care about life. At Veazie, she was found to have frost bite on one of her little ears, and other medical issues. The treated her and off she was to her foster home.

Her foster “parents” were Joan and Frank. Joan recalled that when she first met Castine, she didn't want to be held, and was very ill. They nursed her back to health and with their love and support; she came to enjoy life again. While there, she met Barkley, another BREW beagle being fostered by these wonderful people.

We went to meet Barkley as potential adopters. I will never forget that day. We were greeted by all their wonderful pets, and their various barks of welcome. Once inside, we were checked out by the whole group. While we were meeting Barkley, Castine and my daughter Katie found each other. Katie thought this was the most precious dog she had met. We knew we wanted to adopt Barkley, and after having two previous beagles we weren't convinced we wanted two together again, never mind the fact that Castine as nine years old. We had recently dealt with the passing of our last Beagle, and weren't sure we were ready to do this too soon again. We wanted a younger dog.

Well, after seeing Katie and Castine together we had to agree it was meant to be. So Castine and Barkley became members of our family. Over the next five years, Castine went from a quiet unassuming dog, to a begging machine. Barkley taught her the fine art of begging for food, giving sad eyes, and vocalizing when we were not quick enough to let them in from outside. She would actually prance around and chase Barkley, most time instigating him to play. She in turn taught him the fine art of napping whenever possible. We liked to say she needed to get her twenty hours of nap time a day. She also enjoyed home visits, when we would explain the wonderful benefits of wonderful senior dogs.

Castine had many nicknames, all those met her would call her “Precious”. We at different times called her “Baby”, “Chazzie”, “Sweet Baby Chaz”, and affectionately “Mitzie”. Mitzie was her “summer name”. Why? No one knows, one day someone called her that and it “stuck”.

Castine was relatively healthy until the last week of her life. We saw her fading, and she let us know it was time. Sadly she passed on to a better place.

We are forever grateful for the wonderful people who helped Castine along the way, Leanne, Veazie, Joan and Frank, as well as whoever else helped her along her journey to us.

We will be forever grateful for our life with this wonderful little dog. She is sadly missed by her family, Tony, Lucy, Anthony, her beloved Katie, and best friend Barkley. So good bye Baby, we will love you forever!

In Loving Memory of Nittany the Beagle Girl, 1996-2008

Nittany came to us in the spring of 2004 when she was 8 years young, following more than a year in her foster home.  We soon learned that she was talented in many ways-- she could catch like Johnny Bench and was a true chicken connoisseur.   Bob Vila would admire her conversion of our walk-in closet into her own private fort.   She slept, sat, and reclined wherever she wanted.  We soon came to know the recliner was her property.  Nitty was the most gentle of souls and was most content when all pack members were home for the day.  Although she loved and enjoyed all of these things, her very favorite was a long, leisurely walk in the park with us.  On January 29th, 2008, Nittany passed peacefully with her family at her side.  The Nitt was well loved and is sorely missed.  It was our pleasure and gift to have known and loved this wonderful beagle girl.  We thank the BONES volunteers who matched us up.  We are comforted to know that Nittany joins our earlier pets—Niki, Fonti, Sam, Bellie, Sheffield, Cinderella, Bianca, Katie, and Little Debbie –in games, play, and just plain old fun in the Land of the Rainbow Bridge.  We are comforted to know that we will once again meet when the time is right.

David and Virginia Brezza, with Papillons Tequila and Puppers

Sophie

Spohie (formerly Sapphire) came to me Special Delivery from BREW (Beagle Rescue, Education & Welfare) on August 2, 2002. It was 2 weeks before her 10th birthday. I had found her on the internet, and her story was so compelling, I fell in love instantly. She had been in a breeding kennel her whole life. Litter after litter. She got 'accidently' pregnant at age 9, and the owner surrendered her so he wouldn't have to deal with it. She delivered 2 or 3 pups, but none lived. Lots of veterinary care was required to help this little girl. And I do remember how surprised I was when I first saw her just how little she was. Susan Taney delivered her to me. Sophie was a delight from the very first minute. Never a bit of trouble. Friendly, low key, loving, funny and a joy to be around. Everyone loved her. She fit right into the pack here at home. She was a very easy dog to keep and to love. She suffered from heart disease since before I got her. She succumbed to this, finally, in May this year. It was very sad to lose this precious little girl. She was 15 3/4 years old. I hope the last several years of her life were just what she had been waiting for. Lots of other dogs and cats to play with. A warm stove to lie by. Soft, clean beds. And all the love she could take. She will be missed every day.

Maryanne Jensen, Meredith, NH.

Mercedes

March 15, 2004 - April 2, 2009. 
"You are my Sunshine"

Mercedes left us on April 2, 2009 and crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge after her fight with Lymphoma.  She had just turned 5 yrs old when she lost her battle.  She was so strong and brave all the way to her last breath. She never showed weakness or pain.  She just couldn't fight any longer.  She is truly missed and will forever be in our hearts.
She is not a Bones Beagle but she showed us the way towards Bones and we adopted Rocko (formerly Jake).  It is the love that she gave us and the love that we gave her that allowed us to open our home and hearts to another, to give him the home that he deserves, the home and life we gave her.  She taught us many things in her short life, if only it wasn't so short. 
Please do not buy from pet stores.  I strongly believe that her short life was due to poor breeding because she was a product of a puppy mill.  I looked up her breeder, and yes, she came from a puppy mill.  She was our first and will be our last puppy purchased from a pet store.  Please choose to rescue those in need of a home.  Educate yourself and others about puppy mills, don't let yourself or someone else go through the pain that Mercedes and our family went through.  No one should go through this kind of heartache.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray. You don't know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

I Love You!!  Krystal (mama)

Hannah

To our Hannah,

We weren’t quite sure what we were doing when we brought you home from the pound. We went there just to “look” at you, and before we knew it, you were in our backseat, looking as puzzled as we did!

We had just decided to add a third dog to our family, but we were going to wait a few months. Then Mark saw your picture as “Pet of the Week” and called me to tell me that he had found our dog. It seemed like a sign, you had epilepsy like our Patty, so we were already well versed on seizures. Also, you were an older gal and we had been talking about adopting a senior beagle.

We got to the pound first thing Saturday morning, excited to meet you. You looked so old and sad! I think we believed that we were bringing you home to give you a good last few months.

Money was tight, but somehow we found a way to pay the adoption fee and buy you your own bed, toys, collar, leash, and food bowl. We also managed to pay the vet bills to take care of your lyme disease and double ear infections. You had a few seizures those first days, but that was because they hadn’t been giving you your epilepsy medicine regularly. After you got on a regular schedule, you got better. We gave you a bath after prying the old buckle style collar that was encrusted with filth off of your neck.

It was amazing to see you transform! As the medicine started to make you feel better, a completely different dog emerged. You quickly established yourself as leader of the pack, putting Shelby in her place with a boisterous AROOO! You’d Aroooo with your whole body, rearing up on your back legs like a little horse. You loved your belly rubs! All anyone would have to do was touch your head or back to pat you and you would roll over for a rub. We’ll always remember how you would hop down the stairs like a bunny, one step at a time. You had so many nicknames – HannahBelle, Hannah Belly Button, Smudgey Face, Our Little Smudgeon. And if you wanted a treat or your belly was telling you that it was dinner time, you would go over to one of us if we were sitting on the couch and give us “the paw”. First you would just place your paw lightly on our leg. If we didn’t respond (often done on purpose to witness the cuteness to ensue), the paw would become gradually more insistent and firmer. If that didn’t work, you would pull your final card – a loud AROOOO! The look on your face was priceless - exasperated and indignant - a beagle scorned!! And we’ll never forget the 4th of July cookout when you dug up my flowers and had a face full of dirt!

Unfortunately, after many years of liver-taxing epilepsy medication, your poor little liver started to give up. We laid you to rest after knowing there was nothing else we could do and before you had to suffer too much. It’s been almost a year now, and we still catch each other crying over how much we miss you. We only had two and a half short years with you, but adopting you was one of the best decisions we have ever made. We are both looking forward to rubbing your belly again and hearing your wonderful AROOOOOO!