Current Newsletter
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Houston Beagle Rescue HBHR Adoption Update We are highlighting our new Sponsor a Beagle program. This program is focused on caring for our special needs beagles who are not viable candidates for adoption due to their age or terminal health issues. These beagles are slated for hospice care either in a foster home or at The Beagle Bungalow. We just said goodbye to Babs a few weeks ago. She came in with a large abdominal mass that had already spread to her lungs. She lived a very good life for six months, being loved and pampered until it was time to let her go. Butch is a sweet 7-year-old boy who was rescued from a shelter late last spring. He was doing well in his foster home until he lost his appetite. This was the first sign that he had a large tumor in his spleen. The cost of surgery and chemo was prohibitive for HBHR to cover. It is always a difficult decision to make with limited resources, but we have to consider how to best use those limited resources for the best care for the most number of beagles. That is why we ask for your help! Another senior boy named Sweeney, 15 years old, was diagnosed with the same medical condition as Butch. Unfortunately, he was not a good candidate for surgery at his age. He lived two years longer before he crossed the rainbow bridge. We are hoping that Butch will have at least that long as well. A happy Butch living his best life!
If you'd like to know more about how you can become a Sponsor of a Special Needs Beagle, go to our website, https://www.houstonbeaglerescue.org/how-you-can-help/#beagle or email us requesting more information at info@houstonbeaglerescue.org
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Beagle 101: Letting Go
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – Winnie The Pooh
As we all know, there will come a day we will have to let our beagle go. This is the bargain we make to have all that love and joy in our lives for a brief period of time. Many of us have had this experience multiple times and for some, it may be their first experience. It is always a learning experience. We wanted to share some of the latest methods and thinking about how to transition from providing good quality of life care for your beagle to providing good quality end-of-life care. This is called hospice care.
Common circumstances that lead to hospice care for dogs include:
- Late stage or aggressive form of cancer
- Heart or kidney failure
- Severe mobility issues
- Nervous system impairment
- Lung disease or other causes of breathing disorders
- Trauma such as a severe accident
- Any health condition that requires extended intensive care
- Severe cognitive dysfunction
- Physical decline with increased vulnerability to stressors such as minor illness.
- When pet parents decide not to pursue curative treatment, or those treatments have failed
How Will I know When It Is Time?
This is a difficult and emotional decision because you are making it for a being who cannot tell you what they want with language, but you can watch their behaviors to get a better understanding of how they feel. Consult with your veterinarian, who should be your guide in helping you with making this decision. The link below is a useful assessment tool to take some of the subjectivity out of the decision.
https://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/veterinary_hospital/quality_of_life_assessment.pdf
Once you have made the decision, there are a couple of options for euthanasia. Most vet clinics have a special room set up away from the other patient areas. They will walk you through each step of the process, tell you what to expect, so there are no surprises. Most importantly, they give you all the time you need to say goodbye. Cost can be between $100–200, not including special services such as cremation remains returned.
Another option is at-home euthanasia. This is a wonderful option to keep your dog in his/her comfortable home environment with the familiar smells and without the extra stress of that final car ride to a vet clinic. The cost can range from $300-$600 depending on additional services such as after-hours fees, travel fees, and cremation ashes returned.
Afterward
It is very normal to be sad and grieve the loss of your furry family member, but you may be surprised to also feel guilt about the decision you made and anger that you couldn't "fix" the situation. This is all very normal and very human. Give yourself the time and grace to go through this process. Some ways to deal with it are:
- Place pictures of your dog where you can see him every day.
- Share memories of your dog with your family and friends who are also dog lovers.
- Join a pet loss support group
- Volunteer at a shelter or with a dog rescue group where you can be around dogs until you are ready to again share your love with another dog.
BYOB Event
We held the annual BYOB (Bring Your Own Beagle) on March 28th. We had 80+ humans, and it seemed like as many, if not more beagles. Great weather, good food, lots of treats, fun games and the Beagle Boutique. Thanks to everyone who attended and made this such a fun gathering!
Frankie & the Beagles Mingling with the Beagles
Beagles being Beagles Richard & his Pack
2026 Beagle Calendars - You can order your 2026 Beagle Calendar on our website https://www.houstonbeaglerescue.org/blog/uncategorized/its-calendar-time/.
HBHR T-shirts — If you'd like to show off your love of beagles and help HBHR, we have HBHR shirts! These shirts are now on sale for a donation of $15 which goes toward the care & feeding of the beagles. We will have them at our events and at The Beagle Bungalow if you'd like to purchase one. Or for $20 donation to cover the shipping costs, we will ship it to you. Just email info@houstonbeaglerescue.org with the size requested (medium, large, or X-large) and your mailing address. You can go to the website, https://www.houstonbeaglerescue.org/ to pay online using the donate button.
We always love catching up with the Beagles!
HBHR Memorial Bricks - You can acknowledge your Beagle with a Memorial Brick that will be placed in the Memorial Beagle Walkway at The Beagle Bungalow - Dedicated to Charlie Roberts and All First Beagles! Your donation of $100 will purchase a brick with an inscription of your choice and will help future HBHR beagles find their forever homes. If you are interested, request an order form here: info@houstonbeaglerescue.org
Before we go, a Beagle Smile....
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