Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own

Our Billie HOWLiday…she had her own. No doubt about that. There will never be another like her.

Billie bid her family farewell yesterday.

There's no magic cure for this kind of heartbreak.

All we can do is share all the wonderful memories of Billie. And keep those memories in our hearts --- now and always.

Memories like the day we first learned about this extraordinary beagle.

She'd been taken in by a dear soul who we are forever grateful for. Sylvie was a Cat Person…until she brought Billie home after she was rescued from that street post back in February 2016 - tied to the post on a cold winter day with a one-word note attached:

"FREE"

It should have said "PRICELESS"

Sylvie reached out to us in the hopes we could help.

Billie needed extensive medical care and she wanted the best for this beagle she'd come to know and love…

despite the fact "she burps and farts".

And so Billie came bounding into our arms and instantly lit up our world.

She had a special way of chasing the blues away, our Billie.

And yes, she was cute as a button but it was her personality that stole our hearts the most. That and her little beard stubble. Florence had the hairy armpits and Billie had the 5 o'clock shadow. You gotta love all the funny quirky things about these beagles we rescue.

We had loads of fun with Billie, taking her to British car shows and weekend trips to the farm. It was hard to let her go but when a special family came a knockin' for our Billie, we knew she was about to win the jackpot.

And so Billie went bounding into the arms of her new mommy, Nicolle, and instantly lit up her world too. Not to mention their entire neighbourhood.

Awww, the life she's had these last 5 years. Sitting on the dock all live love day at the cottage in the summertime, the road trips, the fundraisers for her fellow beagles, the visits to the local nursing home where she hammed it up with all her favourite seniors. She had more friends than there are stars in the sky. A passion for people and for all her dog buddies in the neighbourhood.

Billie had her own alright. God Bless the child. God Bless Billie.

Because heaven knows, this is one Billie who never sang the Blues.

Please light a candle for Billie and all who loved her tonight. After all, she lit up our world and we are all the better for it.

Last night, we lost Fred (formerly known as Lost Boy Fred) to heart disease.

We knew the time was coming fast for us to say goodbye after just having him to the vet for a re-check earlier this week. But the time came sooner than his forever foster family was prepared for. We're thinking of them now, across the miles that separate us. Lord knows they loved this little boy. But as heartbreaking as it was to be heading to an Emergency Hospital late at night, they saw to it that Fred had himself a tasty Chicken Nugget Happy Meal on the way there. Happy Meal for a Happy Boy.

Fred always seemed to have a smile on his face and a zest for all the adventures life had to offer, even as his heart disease began to worsen. That's why I chose this blurry picture of him. It was the very first picture we took of Fred in the car ride HOME to us from the shelter. He wouldn't sit still long enough for Erica to take an award winning photo of his official Gotcha Day. Instead, she got a blurry flurry. But that was Fred. Always in a hurry for life's next surprise, excited for what awaited him just around the corner. Life was a constant joy ride for Fred. From his first joy ride home to us to his last joy ride happily devouring his chicken nuggets.

Sometimes, I must admit, I feel a bit like a pastor delivering a eulogy for a member of our parish. I don't always feel worthy of writing these tributes. Sure, I know these precious beagles. They are members of our 'church' after all and I was there to greet them when they first joined our community and we've looked after their needs ever since. But it's really the foster families that know them best, especially those that become forever foster families to palliative beagles like Fred. These foster families grow to love them more than they can ever explain in mere words.

All the moments and memories shared.

I'll never know about those things the way they do and how those special memories will have them smiling in the years to come.

But I do know one thing. Fred was and always will be part of our Family. We will always love him. And we will never forget him, no matter how blurry his picture in the BOB Family Album might be. He will always remain crystal clear in our hearts.

So once again, we'll be lighting a candle tonight. For the blurry flurry that was Fred.

13 years ago, we took little Hazel into our Rescue from our friends at the Oakville Humane Society. Seems like a lifetime ago. And it was! A lifetime filled with fun and adventure and most of all --- LOVE. Because Hazel could not have found a better home than the one she scored with Andrew and Laura. There were canoe rides at the lake, squirrel chasing (of course), and there was even fishing beagle style!

13 incredibly beautiful years for a precious little beagle girl once dumped at a shelter when she was still so young and uncertain of her future. It's everything we hope for when we rescue these deserving beagles. But still, we know 13 years wasn't enough. It's never enough. Not with a dog so amazing as Hazel.

All our love to Andrew and Laura as they go about repairing their hearts. We're with you in spirit, and so is Hazel.

On Monday, we lost yet another member of our Family. BOB Grad, Pencil, who came to us almost exactly 7 years ago to the day. In fact, in our BOB Family Album, Pencil is noted as our 125th Beagle rescued since opening our beagle repair shop. He came to us through our friends at Toronto Animal Services, needing Elbow Dysplasia surgery.

One look at that face and we were hooked, even if it was just days before the Easter Long Weekend. We'd find him a spot. And we did. One of our lovely vets at Beaches Animal Hospital, Dr. Natalie Beck, took Pencil home just in time for the Easter festivities! I'm not sure if there was an Easter Egg Hunt, mind you, but I do know he sniffed out a nest fit for a Faberge Egg…wrapped up in luxury bed linens, pampered and fussed over just as much as Dr. Beck's own little 4-legged, cutie-pie puffballs!

Eventually, Pencil found his forever home with other like-minded beagles thanks to Helen & Paul. He was just as fussed over, of course. Pencil was known as daddy's little Recliner Buddy. Didn't matter that he stole an entire steak from his plate one memorable evening. Pencil could do no wrong. With a face like that, he could steal anything he wanted --- especially their hearts.

Pencil was…Pencil PERFECT!

He perfected the art of paw-painting too, with the guidance of his equally talented human sister Lisa! 

But even perfect beagles grow old and things don't work so perfectly anymore. For Pencil, it was his heart.

On Monday, when his heart could no longer keep up with his dreams of becoming the next Picasso, he left this world.

But Pencil is still here in the hearts of all who loved him.

Nothing can erase the memory of Pencil.

Many of you saw my posts on my personal FB page and for Big On Beagles. My thanks again for all your kind words of comfort and support. I know we've all been through this kind of sadness. The heartache is not lost on you. And we all want the world to know how special our beagle was when they've gone from our sight but not from our heart. We want the world to know just how extraordinary our beagle was so maybe somehow, our beautiful beagle can live on forever.

Forgive me for the indulgence. Bentley was and always will remain in my heart as the bravest beagle I've ever known. He suffered a truly painful past before he bravely pawed his way to us a decade ago and changed us forever. Our endless thanks to both the Rescue group in Ohio that saved him first and our friends at Toronto Animal Serves who saved him next and, despite how damaged he may have seemed on the outside, saw his inner strength and potential for a life filled with happiness in the right hands. James and Sharon - my heartfelt gratitude to you both.

It never left his soulful eyes, that horrible past. It was always there if you looked deeply enough, but he overcame it in every other way. I've got 10 years full of joyful memories shared with that adorable and, dare I say, mischievous little beagle to prove it.

This past week has been more difficult than I ever could have imagined. You never get good at this of course, but Bentley's loss has hit me especially hard. And yet yesterday, something changed. I felt a lightness of spirit trying to emerge. I know in time, I'll come back fully. My heart will go on as Celine Dion sings. After all, there are more beagles to love to the moon and back. In the meantime, I want to share this beautiful quote that my friend and rescue partner, Deanna, texted me yesterday. Perhaps that's what triggered my heart to begin it's long road to recovery. I'm hoping it might help those of you who are going through a loss of your own.

Grief never ends…but it changes.

It's a passage, not a place to stay.

Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…

It is the Price of Love.

BENTLEY OF MY HEART...

Here's to my love for Bentley. You are so worth the grief I'm carrying. I will light another candle in your memory today at 6pm to mark your goodbye exactly one week ago. Perhaps others out there will do the same for you but also for the extraordinary beagles they've loved and lost. We are so lucky to have been blessed with such dearly loved souls that, for a far too brief stitch in time, lit up our worlds brighter than all the stars in the sky. 

Back in 2005, we drove from Toronto to St. Mary's with Marna to pick up a ten month old beagle-basset boy.  He was a stray that was scheduled for euthanasia within days due to an overcrowded local shelter.  Our ten and eight year old daughters were over the moon with him.  He cried in the car leaving his temporary foster home.  On the way home, we stopped to tempt him out of his sadness with a French fry or two but he would have none of it. 

The days and weeks that followed slowly brought out the personality of our new family member.  He would refuse treats and go on a hunger strike whenever we left him alone, but decided he had made his point and it was okay to eat them as soon as we returned. He chewed a table, completely through the lower half of a door, an Italian leather belt.  He faced his fears of a desktop globe, a blue ball, and the sound of the flushing toilet.  He fully severed both legs off of our daughter's new doll.  He stole toys, shoes, full toilet paper rolls but most of all, he stole our daughters' hearts.  At the beginning, our older daughter convinced us that he needed to sleep with her in her little single bed " just until he could settle in".  Months later, we would walk by the bedroom to see her squished up at the head of the bed, and Ted (short for Teddy Bear) stretched out on the remaining three quarters.

Needless to say, he celebrated many family milestones and holidays with us. And in 2008, he reluctantly welcomed a little BOB beagle basset brother named Vincent Priceless.  After a few rules set down (mostly by Ted), the two became inseparable.  Ted told Vinnie when to wake us up and when to bark at potential burglars and mailmen at the door.  He loved his Christmas stocking and his annual summer ice cream cone.

Sadly, on May 16th in the afternoon, on a day that started just like any other day for the boys, Ted collapsed suddenly at our cottage.  We rushed him to our cottage vet to be devastated by the news that he had a ruptured spleen with a very large tumor on it and that there was nothing that could be done to save him.  We held his paws and whispered in his ear how much we loved him and how a day would not go by that didn't include him in our thoughts.  Needless to say, there have been many tears but we are looking forward to hopefully more smiles in his memory as time goes by.  There is a hole in each of our hearts the size of the universe.

Thank you Ted for being the best dog with which a human could ever hope to share their home and heart.  Thank you for the thousands of kisses, silly yoga poses, group hugs, and welcoming tail wags after a hard day at work.  Thanks for training your little brother how to live with humans and for meticulously keeping his ears clean.  Thank you for teaching our children empathy, compassion, and responsibility.  Thank you for guarding the house and the cottage, making us laugh on a daily basis, and playing hide-and-seek. Thank you for checking that we were all safely in bed every night before you turned in yourself.  

Ted, your name is from the Greek name Theodore, meaning "gift of God".  You truly were a gift of God and we feel very fortunate that somehow in the craziness of fate, we ended up with you as our gift.  We just hope God knows how very difficult it was for us to give you back.  

Love for eternity,

                                                                                                Princess Bride

It had been just a couple weeks before Christmas 2012 when the old boy with the soulful eyes pictured here was unceremoniously surrendered to the local shelter by his own family. They'd decided to sell their farm where he grew up. They moved on to a new home. He moved on to a shelter.

To this day, this picture breaks my heart. His eyes tell us so much, far more than we can bear.

But his story didn't end there. There was a "Happily Ever After" to his story.

We named him Wesley, after the farm boy in Princess Bride. It suited him perfectly.

Mostly because…Wesley found True Love!

Ben & Catherine welcomed him HOME with open arms and hearts that loved him beyond measure.

For almost 5 years, he was the Farm Boy turned Prince!

But all stories have an ending. It was near the end of October this fall when Wesley bid us farewell.

But as Wesley in the Princess Bride once said with great conviction, " Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."

One day, we'll all be together again.

Until then, you…our dear perfect Wesley, will remain in our hearts.

          Some of you might remember Holly. She and her sidekick, Ivy, came into our rescue just before Christmas several years ago. Seemed fitting to name the two abandoned beagles something festive for the holiday season. Sadly, we lost Ivy not long after their rescue due to her own medical emergency. But Holly stuck around to see what being loved truly meant. Her foster family became her forever family thanks to Holly's exceptional powers of persuasion…or so she thought. The real truth is, she won the jackpot when she landed a spot with this dedicated foster family.

          When Holly suddenly became very sick as a consequence to Cushing's Disease and could no longer be repaired, her family said goodbye without any fanfare. They held off telling me the sad news. They felt we had enough on our plate. So instead of adding to it, Holly's dad put aside his heartbreak to try to alleviate mine. That's what I mean about Holly winning the jackpot.

          This is what Holly's dad sent to me:  

"A never ending thanks for all you do, have done and will continue to do on behalf of the voiceless beagles that have been under your care from day one.

As hard as it is now to say no to what future beagles might have come thru your door, it has become a necessity.  As temporary as this may be, you have chosen to draw a line in the sand which in time will prove to be a very good solution. In the days, weeks and months ahead, that line will disappear and you will move forward again. From what you've started and where you are now, you can say with that big bright smile of yours that you have done an almost saintly service to the four legged friends under your charge. All those beagles who never would have gotten a second chance elsewhere knew they hit the jackpot when you and they crossed paths.

Take a bow, or two,  and bask in the sun for a while."

            This business of rescuing dogs has its ups and downs, but we are a fortunate bunch at Big On Beagles. We have people like Holly's dad who are always there to shine a light when things get dark. And we have people like Holly's dad and YOU who keep that light burning bright with your ongoing support and friendship. I think I know the secret to our good fortune. We've learned one very valuable thing from the beagles we can't help but love forever. We've learned to always remain optimistic in every situation. And you make staying optimistic so easy.

Here's to you, Holly.

And here's to the people we've come to know and love ever since opening this crazy little beagle repair shop of ours.

The road to recovery is a well-lit path thanks to all of you…

In celebration of the election, we named him Dwight D. Eisenhowler.

Dwight was a lemon & white beagle of small stature.

Dwight was President of his backyard.

Dwight was digging a hole to China in that same backyard for the sake of future business trips - cheaper and better for the environment than AirForceOne.

Dwight ruled my heart.

When I'd introduce our little canary in a coalmine to people, I'd always proudly start with "He's the most expensive rescue case to date!" It was the truth then and it's still the truth. The mighty Dwighty had been picked up as a stray by our friends at Scarborough pound. He had a customary examination by the shelter vet upon arrival. She had concerns there was something neurologically wrong with him. The roughly 8 year old beagle walked like a drunken sailor, criss-crossing his back legs. I didn't know what I was in for when they called me to see if Big On Beagles could take him.

A trip to our vet was followed by a trip to the neurologist at VEC which was followed by a trip to the lab for a cat scan which was followed by surgery to remove a cyst from Dwight's spine which was followed by several months of re-hab involving slow but steady walks to strengthen his muscles. He loved the sympathetic attention one scores as a rehab patient. 

That same month, we had our BEAGLE BASH. We raised a whopping $4,000! Dwight spent the entire wad. It was almost as though he planned the whole thing.

Do you want to know what just one BEAGLE BASH can do?

Everything.

Whether it's just for one homeless howler or a flock of them.

I don't have to tell you why Dwight was worth it. I think you get the picture. That's probably because you've had a Dwight of your own and, like me, you probably have a list a mile long of all the silly little things that makes your beagle worth the last dime in your pocket. Silly little things like somehow managing to dreamily drift off to sleep on a warm summer day...even with a rock for a pillow.

We were hoping for more than a 4 year term for our foster boy turned perma pup (we officially adopted Dwight after his lengthy rehab given how attached we'd all become), but wishing something doesn't make it so.

We lost our most expensive beagle in BOB history to cancer last Sunday. He never got to finish digging that hole to China. But we're keeping the excavation site open for the next foster beagle or two or more howl bent on spending the money we raise at this year's BEAGLE BASH FOR CASH.

As I prepare for the biggest, bestest FUNdraising event of the year, I'm thinking fondly of you for being there with us every pawstep of the way, supporting our work on behalf of daydream believers like Dwight.

I'm also thinking of Dwight, my wilful little beagle, my inspiration to keep campaigning for beagles meant to be leaders.