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January 24, 2022 eblast: Watching the snow fall outside my window, I'm thinking it's a good sign the beauty
isn't lost on me. There will be better days. But today, I'm like a wartime general trying to rally the troops and keep spirits
up while delivering more bleak news.
Despite our efforts and your thoughtful prayers, we lost
Lionel on Thursday night. He'd been
struggling with a chronic cough for months. We tried everything to combat it. And suddenly, he developed pneumonia and he was gone. This beautiful light is gone. The
shock of his loss is still ringing in our ears and pounding in our hearts. Only 6 days after losing our beloved Cy.
These two wondrous boys were with me personally. BOB Grad
Cy for 10 years. Forever Foster Lionel for not quite 5 years. But
that's just the measurement of time, isn't it? It's much harder to explain the rest. How, in that Time, we were making the beautiful memories we cling to now.
I won't go on and on about my memories of Lionel. They're mine and my husband's to cherish and
really matter only to us. I understand that. But
there is something you should know about Lionel. He dearly deserves the tribute. He was Clara's rock when they were found
together emerging from the woods, ravaged by fleas and ticks. It wasn't that he was some fierce warrior protecting her from
predators with an array of weaponry. It wasn't that at all. It was just that Lionel was LOVE in the form of the cutest old
beagle you'd ever seen. That's what made him her protector in those dark days. He was so pure of heart, he practically glowed.
That's what made him strong. Strong enough to lead them both out of those woods and into my arms. That love burned brightly
in our home until he was called away from us on Thursday night. But there is an afterglow and we're all holding on tight to it. I'm
going to close with the post I made on my personal FB page for the love and loss of my perfect Lionel. I'm so sorry to be the bearer of so much sad news for our Beagle Repair Shop as of
late but like I'm telling my other beagles right now…"Tails up, troops. There will be better days. More hearts
to mend. More memories to make."
Sometimes, the powers that be test our hearts to
the limit. Leaving
us to question everything and scream out WHY? And when nobody answers back, there's nothing else to do but cry. We've gone from loving 6 beautiful beagles to 4 in less than one horrible week. Our gentle Lionel. The King of our jungle. The kind of king who only wanted to rule our hearts or even just a piece.
He wasn't greedy. Rest assured, we gave him everything - heart and soul - and always will.
Our sweet Lionel. Our Larry
King.
Last night, he followed Cy away from us.
So far away, we can't see either of them. They've
disappeared. Both of them. In an instant. What is the heart to do without its Ruler? It beats without purpose until somehow it finds reason to carry on. In the meantime, it aches for you.
Jan 17, 2020 - It's been a while since we posted a pupdate on our two
angels! Lionel (affectionately known as "Larry") is doing wonderfully! We are closely monitoring his heart as he
does have a signficant heart murmur but so far, so good! Clara-Bow, on the other hand, continues to struggle with her Lyme
Disease. She's had several flare-ups which require a month's worth of antibiotics to stabilize. But rest assured, she's a
happy little thing who has taken over the household!
July 6, 2017 eblast: Ahhh the First Night…always
a nail-biter. But as First Nights go, this one wasn't too bad! After an afternoon romp in the sunshine at Howling
Heights, they were plenty tired. Clara-Bow had a hoot chasing the other beagles around the barn, along with Sam the Pointer.
And sweet old teddy bear Lionel surprised us all when he began to play with a dog toy as though it was the greatest thing
on earth! When playtime
was over, they were ready for a late afternoon snack! We set down two lovely bowls of food on the patio for them and they
gulped it right down, sharing the last licks in each other's bowl! While it is quite clear
they are bonded, they do possess a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore independently. We headed to my home in
Bowmanville by day's end where they were delighted to discover yet another fun-filled backyard! By nightfall, Lionel had secured
the dog basket in the screened in porch. There was no waking him from that spot. He remained there the entire night, while
Miss Clara decided to curl up in a dog bed in our bedroom on the second floor. There were a couple wake-ups in the middle
of the night when we found her howling at the moon through the window, unsure where she was, but it didn't take much to remind
her all was well and coax her back to bed. At 4:30am, we all awoke to a lonesome cry from downstairs. It was Lionel who had
finally woke up from his deep snooze and found himself in an unfamiliar place with no Clara in sight. Clara and I raced downstairs
to reassure him and to scoot out for a tinkle while we were at it (well, the dogs did - I used the washroom) and then they
were both happy as clams. We all went back to sleep and woke up a few hours later to a brand new day! Health-wise, we are hopeful.
They seem to be responding positively to the treatment for Lyme Disease. Although Miss Clara is experiencing some inflammation
of the eyes following her corrective surgery for Cherry Eye, she's a real trooper at Eye Drop Time! My personal opinion? I
think whoever opens their hearts and home to this precious pair will be very lucky indeed! Lionel is a sweet, gentle old boy
who enjoys a good lounge chair! He's also quite agreeable to being cuddled and fussed over whenever the mood strikes you!
He's extremely accommodating that way… ( ; Clara-Bow is an interesting
character! In some ways, she's insecure and needs assurances. But in other ways, she's Mighty-Mighty! She loves exploring
and can certainly stand up for herself if another dog gives her trouble…like my gangsta Cy who thought he'd show her
who's the boss as he always does with the newbies. But alas, he wasn't in the least bit successful and is now utterly embarrassed
after getting shown up by a girl. But make no mistake, Clare-Bear Cherry Bomb is an
awesome dog. She has so much to offer and I think she could entertain her people for hours if you let her! And cuddles?! Oh
boy, she LOVES cuddles!!! Once she's in your arms, she wants to stay forever! The only heartbreaking thing is how head-shy
she can be at times. There is every sad indication she was dealt with harshly by someone in her past. We're determined to
have her forget about that. Oh and she also had no clue what a television was. She was pretty
scared at first but we got her to warm up to the idea once she figured out couch cuddles go hand in paw with quality TV viewing!
Lionel was too busy snoozing in his basket to notice our electronics… Yep, we're definitely gonna love them tomorrow and
maybe YOU will too! If you'd like to chat with us about fostering these dear souls,
don't hesitate to send us an email!
June 20, 2017 eblast: Dear Friends, My next eblast was going to be a tribute to 3 beautiful beagles that left us in quick succession starting just before
WOOFSTOCK. But as I started to put pen to paper, the unthinkable happened when I lost one of my own babies without warning
a week ago today. It has been a tough week. I do intend to shine the
spotlight on all four beagles very soon. They gave so much to us and deserve all the recognition we have in our hearts. So
please do stay tuned for our tribute to BOB beagle, Petey, followed by BOB beagle mixed with Lord knows what, Lapkin (aka
Highway), followed by Ezra's sister and favourite pillow, Emma, followed by my Matthew - also a BOB beagle taken in just before
our first BEAGLE BASH FOR CASH over 11 years ago. In the meantime, we must focus on the living and our desperate need for two loving foster homes. I'll start with a pair of the sweetest beagles I've
ever had the honour of helping. We got a preliminary inquiry for help earlier this month from the good people at the Gananoque & District Humane Society. At that time, the staff had not yet met
the pair but they were on their way via the local Animal Control. All that was known was that they seemed very attached to
one another, both showing concerning health issues. Their origin - unknown, but the speculation was they may have been failed
hunting dogs that had either escaped or been abandoned. A common scenario in the area. The pictures came a little later and
our hearts skipped a beat… The smaller one is a little girl guessed a few years younger than her boyfriend. Afflicted with Cherry Eye
in both eyes and yet still full of beans. Her boyfriend is sporting cataracts but thankfully no cherries. He's older and wiser
with such gentle grace. Aside from cataracts, they detected a heart murmur and he's somewhat thin but he's her constant companion
and just as desperate for love. He will gladly melt in your arms if you let him, so I'm told. The incredible folks at Gan HS are doing everything
they can medically for these two. The sweet boy was neutered yesterday and a sample from a testicular mass has been sent off
for testing. The little girl will have her spay tomorrow together with correctional surgery for the Cherry Eye. Both dogs
have been diagnosed with Lyme Disease and are being treated accordingly. Given their age of approximately 7 and 12, and those health issues,
the staff know they'll have little luck finding an adopter. The shelter is small as well and only accommodates cats in need
of homes so the dogs are staying in the care of their veterinary clinic partner until the medical procedures are completed.
If they had not interceded, these dogs would be gone having never known such kindness.They are depending on us to find them
a foster family who will love them to bits. They deserve no less. I came up with names for them. I've got this love for old movies and that's where I found my inspiration.
In honour of the era of silent films, I named them Clara-Bow and Lionel Beagle-More. Clara-Bow was an awesome Flapper and
Silent Film star who successfully transitioned to Talkies. She was known as the IT Girl in her day and was also famous for
coining the phrase, "The more I know about men, the more I like dogs." Lionel Barrymore hailed from the same
era. He was quoted with saying, "The older you get, the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness."
But we know all about that, don't we?
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