Dec 18, 2011:

After our last happy pupdate, our dear old Luke started to have some health problems. In the summer, he had surgery but by December, it was clear that his body was tired. Liver disease prevailed and we had to bid our sweet boy farewell before Christmas. He was surrounded by all who loved him dearly and always will. There is no greater gift than that. To Mary and Jan, my deepest gratitude to you both for loving him beyond measure...leaky faucet and all. I'm honoured to call you friends.

March 15, 2011:

It's about time we posted a pupdate on our sweet old Lukey! Here's a message from his doting foster mommies, Mary & Jan:

We've been fostering Luke for 9 months and have naturally fallen in love with him!
 
When asked to write an update for Luke, we took a minute to look through the previous comments posted by his former foster parents.
 
There's not much to add that has not been said before.  He's been called "laid back", "sofa spud", and "easy going", all of which are still  true!

Luke does not get out of bed until 10 a.m.  Anything earlier would be positively savage! After his wake-up stretches, he's ready for a late breakfast followed by a nice walk.  Luke loves to walk, but not too far, of course. He's got to get back for his snooze in order to catch up on his 20 hours of rest he feels is required per day. 

He's totally housetrained, very adorable and low maintenance.

The thought of barking, chewing, getting into garbage, chasing anything, being a real beagle...are all a terrible waste of time as far as Luke is concerned.  He's the perfect roommie and gets along with every person, dog, cat or squirrel he meets.  He's currently living in a foster home with 3 other beagles and has settled in very well. 

Lukey is an excellent patient too. He's permanently on medication for diabetes and chronic ear infection.  This medication costs about $60 a month.  Due to his medical problems and his age, estimated to be around 10, he may need to remain in the care of his BOB foster home and that would suit us just fine! If the idea of fostering a past-his-prime-but-so-sublime beagle interests you, we highly recommend filling out a foster application for Big On Beagles!!!
 
Sincerely,

Luke's Devoted Foster Moms,

Mary and Jan
 

June 22, 2010 eblast:

PET OF THE MONTH!

 (Published in the June 29, 2010 issue of BEACH METRO NEWS)

How do you thank someone who has taken you from garbage cans to porcelain bowls? It isn’t easy, but he’ll try…

          His name is Luke --- Cool Paw Luke.  It was just about 2 years ago when we made his acquaintance. He was doing time in a shelter. No fault of his own. He’d been abandoned by his human folks, living on the streets and pawing through garbage for food. To a pampered pooch, an animal shelter might feel like prison but not to ole Lukey. It was a five star howl-tel!  But then again, he wasn’t expecting any better.

          Even though considered past his prime by adoption standards, the approximately 6-year-old beagle/basset hound mix had a cheeky charm about him nobody could deny. But charm will only get a dog so far. The shelter veterinarian had detected a heart murmur upon examination which would need careful monitoring. Not many folks want to take on a worry like that. So that’s how loveable Luke enrolled in the Big On Beagles (B.O.B) rescue program.

          Luke graduated with honours a while back when his foster parents couldn’t deny his charm either and adopted him. We never thought he’d return for a refresher course. But sometimes, life can serve you a rotten egg now and then. Luke’s parents split up and neither one had the means to care for him any longer.

          He’s two years older now, but just as charming. He loves eating, napping and strolling wherever you stroll. “Any time, Anywhere” is his motto and that’s because he’s got this way of finding the perfect nest no matter where you take him. Luke could find a spot worth curling up on even if he followed you to the moon, but he didn’t have to go that far on June 13th. On that beautiful day, Lukey followed us to one of the biggest pet events in North America! With just a bat of his eyelashes, he effortlessly drew in the crowds under our bright red tent in the Rescue Me Village. You might say he was our perfect 3-dimensional Thank You card.

          We are just one of many dog rescue groups that owe so much to the hundreds of folks who participate each year in the K9 Rescue Me Walkathon at Woofstock. You make it easy to save the lives of dogs like Luke.

          This year, our little beagle rescue raised over $4,000 through the Walk. No words come close to describing what that means to us. Luke does such a better job at making our point.

It was the end of the day on June 13th when I took this picture. All the vendors were packing up their wares and all the rescuers with their smiling faces in the Rescue Me Village were doing the same amidst a sea of rescued dogs and their wagging tails. We had just neatly folded up our tent and tucked it back in the bag. To us, it was just a tent in a bag. But to Luke, it was the perfect nest.

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We may not have reached our dream goal this year, but that's okay. We've got more money for our rescue beagles than we had before. Our homeless howlers will continue to receive the very best care. There is no limit to our love...because of you.

Thank you.