One night on a walk along a road near my house, I found a Beagle, trembling, terrified, and clearly lost. When I brought her to my kitchen, I discovered a tattoo in her ear, which someone at the American Kennel Club later explained to me identified her as an experimental animal. Somehow the beagle had escaped from a research lab, and I refused to return her. So I kept her and named her Beatrice. Little did I know that she would change my life.
Because she had been more than cruelly treated, she constantly shivered with fear, and she would not bark or respond to anyone’s attempts to pet or cuddle her. When my husband came into the room, she rolled on her back and urinated. It took nearly two years to calm her down. But once she finally understood what love was, she blossomed and soon poured love back on us. She pranced around with confidence and, like all beagles, she became loyal, playful, eager to please, and supremely affectionate – a little clown, the very best of dogs.
Ironically, because of so many positive traits, Beagles need our help more than any other breed. With their cheerful, gentle natures, they are ideal for use in research labs. Some Beagles are commercially bred just for that purpose, but others come from ordinary homes. Usually, those dogs pick up a scent, follow their sniffers out of their yards, and end up sold to research facilities. Sometimes the labs allow families to adopt the Beagles once they’ve served their purpose; but because the dogs have lived caged, lonely, and often painful lives, they can require special help, as Bea did.
Nevertheless, after rescuing Bea, I came to believe there’s nothing more rewarding than taking in these often desperate Beagles and turning their lives around. The dogs can love like no others, and they’re grateful for help and kindness. Bea gave me far more than I ever gave her, and I got the best of the bargain.
In fact, my experience with Bea was so deep and beautiful that I wrote a book, For Bea, in which I describe her metamorphosis from miserable urchin to exuberant hound – and my own transformation from mere dog lover to passionate animal-welfare advocate. I wanted to show readers that lab dogs can become superb companions, and there’s a two-way street of pleasure in living with a Beagle. Joy abounds all the way around.
Beagles may bark with too great abandon, and they require fences and leashes to hem them in and keep them from wandering away. But that’s a small price to pay for all their plusses, such as the way they loll around and snore like little hedonists, or tackle food – and life – with gusto, or put their paws on your knees to let you know they’re thrilled you’re home.
When you walk down the street with a Beagle, faces of passersby light up, and everybody smiles. Beagles’ unabashed exuberance is infectious. Their beautiful, carefree spirits are a perfect antidote to the stress of living in a complex world.
