When some folks think about Beagles, they think about Snoopy or a lovable family dog and who could not love them?
Little do they know what a hard time Beagles have at shelters, especially in rural areas. Sadly many Beagles, and other scent hounds for that matter, never experience the feeling of sleeping at the foot of their master’s or mistress’ bed, or experience sleeping in their crate with lots of fluffy blankets, their ear ready to detect the moment the children come bounding down the stairs in the morning, happy to see their four legged pal. On the contrary, sometimes hounds and currs sit behind a grate in an open truck while their owners dine inside a restaurant. Or while a poodle, or the family’s “inside dog” sits on a lap in the parlor, the Beagles sit outside in a pen as the “outside dogs.” craving to be “velcro dogs” to their owner’s side. There are some people who don’t understand that a dog belongs in the house with their people, but what boggles my mind even more so are the folks who keep their dogs as the “haves” and “have nots” and take proper care of the lap dog, and leave their others out in the rain and explain that the outdoor dogs are their yard dogs.
I am not saying that enjoying tracking activities with your dog is a negative thing, but house dog and working dog are not mutually exclusive!
Another thing sometimes happens to Beagles. Research labs breed them or take them from pounds and do medical research on them. There are laws passed in many states where labs cannot take dogs from shelters or from private individuals unknowingly. But there are some states where if a person surrenders them to a shelter, they can sign their permission to ALLOW a research lab to take them!
One may ask “Why don’t rescues scoop up all the Beagles?”
Well, just like any other dog, one cannot save them all. There is a proliferation of Beagles in some areas that unlike other smaller dogs, they do not incite a flurry of interest from adopters, etc, at a pound because there are so, so many in some areas. Beagles, like other scent hounds become “nose blind” and can easily lose their way back home if they are lost and that accounts for part of the reason Beagles end up in shelters so frequently. Neutering and spaying keeps them closer to home for sure, but they still need supervision and involvement of a loving owner.
A worker I know at a lowkill shelter stated that they don’t take Beagles as transfers from kill shelters because they are “a dime a dozen” there.
Every dog is different. Some are very active, some are mellow. Please consider adopting a shelter Beagle to keep you on your toes.
IN PHOTO ABOVE: Male Beagle at Heard County Animal Control who needs a home. Friendly, but a little skinny. Dog # 4708. Call 706-675-3570
Gonzo at NorthEast Georgia Animal Shelter
Beagle/Bassett - 1/2 years old and VERY URGENT
Great disposition
They adopt out of the area
(706) 356-5363
Gene is an 8 year old girl. She is at the Humane Society at Gennessee County, MI
Her id is 7441. Phone Number : 810-744-0511
This post is dedicated to Laura, the original Beaglesgirl, and her singing Beagles, who has always said “Everybody Needs a Beagle.”
houndsgood Posted in