Mackey came to B.O.N.E.S. from a bad situation in central Massachusetts. He was underweight and limped painfully. X-rays revealed a displaced femur fracture in his right hind leg – it was amazing that Mackey could use the leg at all. The options didn't look hopeful, but with help from the B.O.N.E.S. Medical Director, a carefully-structured exercise program, and a lot of TLC, he can now lead a normal life.
As Mackey recovered from his injuries, long-time B.O.N.E.S. adopter John was mourning the loss of his long-time beagle companion, Hudson, whose "Chronicles" were documented here for many years. John was settling into a new job with lots of driving, and Mackey loved to ride... a great match. John and Mackey will both share their viewpoints with us on this page.
Greetings to all, from Durham, Maine.
I've had another wonderful experience with B.O.N.E.S., finding a new beagle to ride with me for the next million miles.
Things have changed a lot for me since last year. I've parked my truck and I'm driving for a construction company here in Maine. They have offices in New England and down in Baltimore too. My traveling will be a lot closer to home with weekends off.
I would like to continue posting stories, but with a new twist—now you'll hear the viewpoints of both me and my companion!
So, welcome to our new stories...
Mackey in the Cab!
John:
Last March, I contacted B.O.N.E.S. and informed them that I was ready for a new co-pilot. I had a new job, and wanted to settle in before I brought a new beagle into my life.
I worked with Ibby who tirelessly looked for the right fit. That's where Dawn and Skip came into the picture. Through Dawn's contacts, she found a beagle with a troubled past, which included a broken leg. His name was "Mackey." The thing that got their attention was... he loved to ride!!!
I made arrangements to meet Mackey, and see how he would fit with me and the trucking lifestyle.
I was there three hours and he wouldn't have anything to do with me. He was curious, but just didn't trust me.
We decided to go ahead and load him up in the car and head to Baltimore, where I was working at the time. Once in the car, he settled right in and calmed down.
We got a room that night, and he was still nervous, with his tail between his legs each time we went out.
Later that evening he got up on the bed with me. We were like a married couple, watching TV on opposite sides of the bed, not speaking to each other.
I woke up the next morning to a thumping tail and having my face slobbered all over! From that point on, we have been buds.
One morning we were all just laying around when somebody drove into the driveway. We all started barking and jumping up and down going crazy! Then this guy walks in and sits down and starts talking with Skip and Dawn.
All the other dogs were going over, saying "hi," and getting attention. I didn't feel like going over. I had some bad experiences with strangers at my last home.
They talked and talked and talked. HE just wouldn't leave.
Finally, we all went out for a walk, and that's when I saw... THE CAR. We went over to it and I hopped in and was thinking, "Maybe this won't be so bad. I love going for rides!"
Sure enough, we headed out and we went for a long ride. Later on, we stopped somewhere that looked completely different from home. We went inside. It was small, but it had lots of smells, which kept me busy for a while.
I finally decided that it would be ok to get up on the bed with him while he watched this thing with a lot of moving colors and noise. He fell asleep and so did I.
The next morning, I hoped we would go for another ride, and I was pretty excited. I was wagging my tail and even started licking his face. We went out to do my business, and then... back in the car!!!
Later that day, he pulled up the BIGGEST CAR I HAVE EVER SEEN!
He had to lift me up and put me inside, since it was so high. As I was exploring, I found a bed in back!
I think I may enjoy hanging around with this guy.
