LOU AND BESS
My
name is Lou and this is the story of my mate, Bess (pictured on right
shortly after our rescue) and me. From the time we were baby puppies we
were used and abused. We can't tell you the kind of things that happened
to us, but use your imagination. For two and a half to three years we
put up with this treatment because we didn't have a choice.
One day Bess and I decided to run away. We didn't run far enough, we
were caught and we won't go into what happened when we were taken back
to our old home. But being beagles we weren't silly and we escaped
again. But this time things were different, Bess had a raging infection
from a botched caesarean and I was expecting puppies. I gave birth to my
puppies down by the river but it was cold and I wasn't eating properly
and one by one I watched my babies die, Bess never left my side.
One day we were caught again and taken to a shelter. Here we were
desexed and cared for until our rescuer called Gwenda who phoned someone
called Sandra and together they decided that we should live with Sandra
and Greg for a while.
One cold windy Thursday night, Sandra came to collect us, we had
travelled all day in a car and we weren't happy. More humans to contend
with! Sandra and her son, Tim with her. Now Tim is a big man and we had
had experience with big men with big feet and fists to match. However,
although Tim was angry it was not with us, because as he picked us up to
put Bess and myself in the car, he was gentle and called us beautiful
girls. Now we had been called many things but never beautiful girls! Was
this just a way of giving us false security? We were very unsure. It's
like when humans offer you food and its snatched away, or they call you
and when you go to them thinking you are going to get a cuddle you are
belted instead. You learn very quickly not to trust humans!
But we came to live with Sandra and Greg. We met Kim who was also kind
and gentle and full of ideas about what she would like to do to our
previous owners. We finally got to meet Gwenda and Nerelle and the
neighbours, anyone who would treat us gently. We were introduced to the
dogs who lived with Sandra and Greg, friendly dogs who greeted us with
sniffs and tail wags and invited us to play. Bess and I learnt very
quickly that when a member of this family came into their dog run, all
their dogs jumped up for pats and cuddles and weren't pushed away. So
Bess and I thought that we could be a part of this. In this family hands
are for pats not smacks.
That's
my picture on the left, very soon after we came to live with Greg and
Sandra, you can see how timid I am! I'm a lot better now.
Slowly we came to understand love and trust. We were fed on clean
plates, we didn't even know what a plate was! Our food was thrown into
the yard - first come, first served! For all of you beagles out there
who have a loving home and people who care about you - THINK of what it
is like to be pushed from one place to another.
Now Bess (see below) has gone to live with another loving family, she
has everything she wants. I am still with Sandra and Greg. I may not be
a show dog and I'm not an Australian Champion, I'm just an ugly duckling
but I'm loved and I have mates who don't care what I look like and I
would like to spend the rest of my life here.
Will they have me????
YES!! |