Stories

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Sally Finds a Home

Being huge animal lovers, and having cats and reptiles, we did a little research and discovered that beagles are one of the best breeds to have around kids. We also found Northern California Beagle Rescue, and we fell in love with at least 6 cuties just from the pictures! Then- we spotted cute, sweet, older Sally, curled up and asleep for her picture. We were looking for a dog who would be ok being inside most of the time, with a wild and crazy 4-year-old boy running around.

I met Sally on a Friday, and she came home that day. She had just lost a toenail, so she was limping and not 100%, and a little leery since she had been in 2 potential homes already and had been returned to her foster mom, Barb. It took Sally about 2 weeks before we saw her true personality- and she's been surprising us ever since!

Everyone thinks Sally is a pup, because she's small and when we are out walking everyday, she's got a spring in her step. (Sometimes I can't keep up with her...). Sally has adjusted to life with 2 WILD cats (and she'd never been around any cats before)- sometimes even joining in the fun. The kitties also think it's funny to steal Sally's favorite blankie whenever she gets up. Sally has also gotten used to having a "little person" who is loud and funny running around and playing chase with the cats all day.

Sally has been out meeting people and is getting better with strangers. She's also really gotten the hang of going out to potty, on a leash! Strange and new for her. Even though she had been debarked, she has the cutest, sweetest bark still. I cannot believe we've only had Sally in our home for 2 months- she is a family member and it feels like it's been that way forever. Now, I just have to convince my husband (in a couple months...) that Sally needs a beagle buddy to keep her company!!!

Thanks to Eva and all the fosters. Eventually when I am done with graduate school, I would love to be a foster mom to deserving and loving beagles.

Karen, Warren and Noah Snell

Roxy's Story

Initially, we were not looking for an 8 year old dog, but we did want a dog that was well on their way to be potty trained and really loved kids. In November of 2004 we brought Roxy home for a sleepover. OK, so I knew before we left Sacramento that I would never get the dog away from my eight year old son, but I wasn’t letting on that I knew that. From the moment Roxy came into our home I knew that she was meant to be with us. She was about 8 when we got her, although not a youngster she still has plenty of pep in her step (especially if the door is left open), but she makes the perfect cuddle partner too.

Our timing for bringing a new dog home was not the best. We picked Roxy up the weekend before Thanksgiving, it was my turn to host my sizable family of 30 and I just wasn’t sure how Roxy would handle all of those people while still trying to adjust to her new home. Needless to say, I was worried for nothing. She made the rounds to every family member on Thanksgiving old and young alike. Introducing herself with a nuzzle and then a jump up on the lap. She was good through dinner and sat quietly watching every bite, but from a distance.

Roxy’s first Christmas brought many gifts from Santa and a trip to what has turned out to be one of her favorite places… The Vet. Good thing too because she would have to go at least once sometimes twice a month for the next year. First it was an ear infection and then some kind of skin mites. Uncle Ken (the Vet) would greet her with open arms and she him with a whimper and nuzzle (geez)… We are past all that now, so we are back to the annual senior check up (I still haven’t told her she is a senior) shots etc. It took Roxy a good six months before she would bark, but once she started she was on a roll. She doesn’t bark often, but when she does it’s that deep throaty hound voice we all know and love. It is so much fun to watch her ears fly back and her front paws lift off the ground. It really looks like work so maybe that is why she doesn’t bark that much.

We moved almost a year ago which shrunk the size of Roxy’s yard, but made it much more secure for her. She quickly made friends with the Greyhound across the street, but there is a little pesky black dog down the street that wants nothing to do with Roxy. She try’s but gets rejected every time. Roxy has settled into a life of staying home with her Grandma during the day, walking to school to pick up her boy in the afternoon and snuggling with me at night. Each of us serves a very specific purpose for Roxy, she has a companion in my mother, a loving and playful friendship with my son, and me… I am good for walks, food, a warm bed to sleep in and oh yeah rides to see the Vet. She loves going to the dog park, but loves getting out on the walking trail by the Bay even more, there she can sniff and search all she wants. She does like to cuddle, but on her terms. Roxy does not believe that you can cuddle and read anything. So if it’s time to cuddle, the book, newspaper or magazine should be set aside and all attention should be given to her. I recently went back to school and I spend most nights up late doing homework. This has been an adjustment for Rox because she is used to going to bed about 11pm. She will sit and watch me work for a while, whine for a while and then bark at me a few times. If she still doesn’t get me to go to bed with her, she will finally gives up and go by herself.

Roxy has become quite the traveler. She enjoys camping at the Russian River (as long as she doesn’t actually get wet). Very much enjoyed the Spa in Napa, loved spending Thanksgiving weekend at the Sir Francis Drake and all the wonderful smells of Union Square in San Francisco, and really enjoyed the warmth of Palm Springs. I am amazed at just how many places dogs can go (with a small deposit of course) and she will go on her first airplane ride this December. We couldn’t possibly leave her home with friends while we visit family for the holidays, so if she is healthy she will fly back East with us.

When I watch my son and Roxy together it makes me smile. She is so patient and tolerant with him. She does her best to keep up, but almost always has to stop and take a rest before jumping back into the fray. They love to take walks together, and she loves going to school to pick him up. She has made many friends at and on the way to the school and will even take that walk when it’s raining.

I want to thank Northern California Beagle Rescue and especially Eva for working with Roxy to find just the right family for her. The joy and happiness that she has brought this family is tremendous. She doesn’t always follow directions, but she always says she sorry. We have been blessed to provide this magnificent animal with a home and in return have been given lots of love, entertainment, motivation to exercise and lots of other things. We have a new member of this family and she has made us more than complete.

Thanks again!

Lisa, Nick, Roxy and Grandma

Mayday Finds a Home

Mayday was adopted around the middle of December 2004 at six and a half months old. At first he was terrified of just about everything because he lived his entire life in a cage at a research lab and didn't know anything about the outside world. After awhile he got used to his surroundings and now he thinks everything is his. He makes himself at home anywhere he goes. Mayday was debarked at the research lab, but three weeks after being adopted he slowly found his voice. He can bark, whine, howl and growl just like every

other Beagle around. He makes himself known at any chance possible. In fact, as I write this, he's whining at me to play fetch.

Over time Mayday learned the house rules. He's a good dog and usually follows the rules. He still hasn't learned he can't play with cats the same way as other dogs, but I'm hoping that will change over time.

Almost everyone that has been around Mayday said he is the happiest dog they have ever met. He'll give anyone that's willing (some times even unwilling) undying attention. May loves people. I've never met a dog that won't get over protective over toys until I met Mayday. Whenever he sees someone he knows he starts to whine and his whole body starts to wag, not just his tail. He wags his tail so much I think it's going to fall off one day.

I'm glad Mayday is in my life. I wasn't sure about getting a dog, but now I definitely wouldn't want Mayday out of my life.

As stated in different stories, Beagles do need a lot of exercise, but they're great couch potatoes. Mayday can run around and around (and around) but he'll also lay down and watch TV with me on the couch and be happy.

-- Kye

Joey's New Home

This beagle boy has had a lot of names. The research lab tattooed him #11. Six years later his wonderful foster parents gave him his first real name – Amos. Last September my son insistently named him Joey before our car pulled away from the curb at his foster home. To our surprise, our 3-year-old female, Winter, picked Joey from the pack of adorable pups howling at us through the window of their foster home. Winter is a very cautious girl, and until that day she didn’t seem to like boy dogs. Somehow Joey was different.

Now, the two of them are great friends. Joey is teaching Winter how to come out of her shell and Winter is teaching Joey how to bark at pizza delivery men and sniff out squirrels in the backyard – things he never learned to do back at the lab.

The most surprising thing of all is how sweet, gentle, and loving Joey is, even after all he has been through. Today Joey still has a number of names; sometimes we call him Joe, sometimes he’s MoJo, and sometimes he’s JoJo the Wonder Dog.

Murphy

I wanted to let you guys know about Murphy (formerly Dodger) who we adopted from NorCal Beagle Rescue in March 2012.

He is such a loving little boy, sleeping at the bottom of our bed every night to protect us. He loves cuddling up with his big beagle brother, Blue, and racing around the yard. Murphy is very scared of new people, particularly men (understandable when you think what the men in the lab did to him) but with patience and time comes familiarity.

His favorite things are going for sniffs and giving kisses. He can sit and shake as well as find his leash when the word sniffs is mentioned. Thank you so much to lisa and everyone at NorCal beagle rescue, for saving him and bringing him into our lives.

Liam

Rocco's Rockin' New Home

We have a hound/fox terrier mix, named Wyatt who was lonely when we had to be out to run errands. We are a huge hound loving family of 4 people and 1 dog. We began looking for a new hound dog.

We found a dog named George on the Nor Cal Beagle site and we looked into adopting him. Unfortunately, George was already starting his sleep over with another family. We are so thankful that George found a loving family because that lead us to our little man, Rocco.

Our family has expanded by 4 sweet furry feet. Rocco and Wyatt are great friends and our two boys (ages 6 and 9) are non furry brothers for Rocco and Wyatt. We are so happy to have Rocco join our family. We have even begun to look for one more addition to our hound loving family. Thank you Nor Cal Beagle Rescue.

Jeff, Christine, Will, Joe, Wyatt & Rocco Thorne

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