This section is devoted to our beloved dogs who are waiting at the Rainbow Bridge. If you would like to include a tribute to your B.O.N.E.S. beagle(s) that crossed to Rainbow Bridge, please send your story and/or photo(s) to tributes@bonesbeagles.org.
Read all of the tributes by paging through them below or click on a name to go to a specific article.
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!
