Huck
Huck is part of our palliative care foster program. At 20 yrs old, we felt it
was in his best interest to stay with his foster family for the rest of his life. After all, he's so happy and that's
what matters most to us!
PUPDATE as of April 6, 2009 ~ Another
endearing message from Huck's permanent foster daddy:
Dear Marna,
Everything
is great!
Just thought I should let you know about my little shadow. He still
loves the blues, his Orijen Sixfish, and wobbly walks along the canal. It does my heart good to know he sits on the
couch with Laura and I watching Battlestar Galactica instead of wandering the mean streets of Owen Sound.
So
here's the medical update; that strange bubble tumour thing he had is all but gone, as if it was never there. He
seems to be pretty happy about it. And so are we.
So, we'll scratch his ears
for you, and tell him you're thinking about him. He sleeps well on a feather duvet knowing that his weary old bones
are loved.
John
P.S. He now has the nicknames
Bones, Cricket, Creaks, Prancy Pants, Droops, Wigglor, Goober, 'owlface and Duck. You know a beagle is loved by
how many names he has. Just ask Reese/The Beag/Bologna/Fish/Tube/Potato/Wiggles/Puddin'/Hoagie Perogi.
October,
2008:
There are times in a rescuer's life that all the effort, all the fight, all the tears don't
seem worth it when the dogs in need never stop pawing at your door. But then, you get a message like the one from Huck's
foster daddy below and, suddenly, you're back in the race......
"Dear Marna,
I know you are
a busy lady, but I thought you'd have some time to hear some good news. Huck's more than fine, and as the months go
by, he's becoming very trustful and loving of Laura and me. You might say, he's gone through some personality changes;
one is that he wags his tail waaay more often. He does happy dances and actually skips around the house now. But here's
the sweetest of all...he's always been my little shadow; if I leave the room, he's got to follow me, even if that
means dragging his old bones out of his pillow which is on his very own cushy chair. And he always has to sit next to me (but
not touching me); however, the other day, while I was sitting cross-legged on the floor with some sheet music, he wobbled
over, climbed into my lap, and with a sigh, curled up in a doughnut. IN MY LAP. I couldn't believe it! Laura saw it too.
I know it seems silly, but for us, that was a huge deal. Huck's clearly had a bad life, but he's finally
getting to live a dog's life. I think he now knows not all people are horrible.
If all you've ever done
was help Huck, all your work has been worth it.
John"
PUPDATE after Woofstock 2008:
Hucky chose the short walk for seniors when it came to this year's K9 Rescue Me Walkathon at WOOFSTOCK on Sunday,
June 8th! We can't thank our supporters enough for coming out and making it such a success for our rescue beagles! Hucky
says AROOO! Ruff translation? We're pretty sure it means Thank You in Beaglemese...!!!!
Jan. 25, 2008: Well,
Hucky's foster Mommy and Daddy have decided to make it official so they're off to Jamaica to get married! CONGRATULATIONS
JOHN AND LAURA!
As for the Huckster, Yours Truly has the honour of doggy-sitting our Oldest Rescue Beagle Ever!
It's only been a few hours since little Huckleberry Hound's arrival and I'm already on the rooftop proclaiming,
"I HEART HuckaBeagle!!!" He's too adorable for words!
Read all about this little dumpling below...Considering
his advanced age (from what we know, he's pushing 20!), Huckaroo will probably live out his life with his doting foster
parents and that's just peachy with us! He's such a happy little camper and still so full of beans!!
Summer of 2006: IT'S ABOUT BEAGLE TIME FOR A PUPDATE ON OLD MAN HUCK! HERE'S A LITTLE MESSAGE WE RECEIVED FROM HUCKY'S
FOSTER MOM AT THE END OF SUMMER:
Hello Fellow Beagle Lovers! Just thought we'd let everyone know that Huck
is thoroughly enjoying his summer vacation with his foster family! Everyone just thinks he's the sweetest guy ever! He's
being spoiled rottten - getting lots of attention and plenty of treats! He's also enjoying walks to a huge park complete
with a soccer field! So much grass to sniff! He isn't the fastest dog in the world mind you, but he LOVES to run around
in the soccer field and sniff all the new and interesting smells!
I think Huck and Reese are really starting to
become friends, but they're really more like brothers. Huck doesn't seem to like sitting on any furniture (other than
the bed), so he has a blanket and a pillow on the floor he likes to cuddle up on. It's near the air conditioner vent,
so I think that's why he likes it... it keeps him nice and cool! Anyhow, he was lying on his bed one day and Reese came
over to sniff him so Huck stood up... and Reese stole the bed right out from under him! He plopped right down and stole Huck's
spot without thinking twice! I think Reese is now officially Huck's pain-in-the-butt little brother! But they never lost
their temper with each other - no doggy fights whatsoever. Everyone is pretty content despite the expected sibling rivalry!
Huck has attached himself to me for the most part. He follows me around, and gets kind of restless when I'm
not in the room with him. But it seems to be a healthy attachment. He isn't really a cuddly dog, but we're working
on that! He loves to be petted though, and if you lie on the floor next to him, he'll shimmy up next to you for maximum
attention!
As far housebreaking, we're still working on it. He's definitely getting better! He goes out
for tinkles immediately after dinner, and just before bed and first thing in the morning, and then at times when he's
looking restless and wandering around. He isn't marking the couch anymore! Yahoo!
The truth is, Huck is a very
sweet dog and just LOVES attention. The only thing he doesn't seem to like are BATHS! He tries to escape from the tub
every chance he gets!
That's it for now from Huck's Humble Servants! We'll write again soon if there
are any interesting developments!
We're so grateful for folks like Huck's foster parents! They've given
this old boy a whole new and happy life! Here's his sad little tale turned happy:
UPDATE AS OF JULY 6, 2006!
We're tail-waggingly thrilled to share the good news! We found a wonderful foster home for Huck! Big hugs go out to his
new foster family, John & Laura and their adorable dogs, Reese & Spike!
On Friday, July 7th, Huck will
be taken to Toronto by one of the Owen Sound Shelter's volunteers! We'll be scooting him over to our vet's for
a full examination, then it's off to the pet boutique for a spiffy new collar! He'll no doubt snooze in the car on
the way to his new foster home! Send pawsitive thoughts Huck's way as he makes this wonderful transition from a shelter
to Home Sweet Home! We'll be posting pupdates once he's settled in!
Read Huck's story below:!
Huck
was in the care of an animal shelter in Owen Sound! The nice folks at this shelter asked BOB for help. At that time, Huck
was believed to be 18 years old! He deserved a REAL home!
On June 22, 2006, the word started to spread about wee
little Huck through the rescue network. He was found as a stray by the shelter. When they finally traced Huck's owner,
they were ready to celebrate his reunion with his family. But, his owner never came to retrieve him. In the end, the owner
chose to surrender him to the shelter. Apparently, Huck was of no use to him anymore...at his age.
There is not
a great deal known about Huck. His owner was not all that forthcoming. But, regardless of the lack of history, Huck has touched
the hearts of his caregivers. He is a sweet, little beagle with not a lot to say or howl. He may be quiet as a mouse, but
that doesn't mean he doesn't want your attention. His tail wags a mile a minute at the mere sight of an approaching
human! He's also just fine sharing his digs with other dogs and cats.
Apparently, Huck was an indoor/outdoor
dog which meant that he needed a refresher course on house manners. Nowadays, Huck's foster parents use baby diapers to
be on the safe side as his kidneys aren't what they used to be. Huck doesn't seem to mind wearing them in the least.
Huck wasn't neutered upon rescue and, given his advanced age, we've decided against subjecting him to any
surgery.
Finding quality foster homes is so important to our work. Not every beagle needs the long-term care that
Huck needs, mind you. If you would like to learn more about fostering, then send us an email:
bigonbeagles@primus.ca and ask for a foster application.
