for humans. We have a beagle we got from the shelter in 2016. She was at least three years old at the time and had been given up to the shelter 2 times. I would imagine for barking alot, as beagles do. We had just lost our husky/German shepherd mix from old age, and our whole family was so sad. So, I took a look at the dogs available at the shelter, and Sissy( our beagle) just looked so sad and in need of love, that I asked my Husband to go pick her up.🙂
She has been everywhere and done everything we have since we got her, but last year she got an attack of Vestibular Disease.It looked the same as a stroke to us, but they said it wasn't. She had a head tilt for a few months, and it took her a few months to be able to walk normally. She was blind in one eye after this, and she was never able to get up and down off the beds again....😔
She has always walked with us in the summer. In her younger days, before we knew we were working her too hard, she would walk 5 miles with us. We later dropped it back to 2 miles, though, because we found out it was too hard on her hips. This summer, when we started walking, she would make it a mile, at first, but then little by little she dropped back on how far she could walk. So, we started walking her around the block ( well, more like half the block) before we would go walking with one of the younger dogs.🙁
It broke our hearts to leave her home, but she just couldn't do it. Today, she refused to go around the block and went to the van door and scratched it. She wouldn't come back into the house. She was bound and determined to go with us. So, we took her. I wanted to just walk her a couple of hundred feet, but she refused to return to the car. She kept walking until I finally asked my Husband to please go get the car, because I knew she wouldn't make it back.😔
By the time my Husband got the car and returned to us, she was sitting down, ready to come home. She was really happy, but I am worried she did too much.I don't want to say goodbye to her yet. I have said goodbye to too many old cats and dogs of ours. So, I baby her, maybe more than I should. All the way home, my Husband and I cried, because we feel just like our dog.😢
We want to do all the things we have always done. Our mind thinks we can, but our bodies just don't work as good as they used to. You know you never fully realize what getting older means until you are, in fact, older. Today promises to be a weepy day for me.😢
This is Sissy a year after we adopted her...
This is Sissy in 2021
This is Sissy today
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We adopt beagles who are at least 5 years old, so it isn't long before they show their age. One made it to 15 before cancer got her. Another was 13 when congestive heart failure was the end. Our Daisy is now 8 and still going strong. We love our beagles. Thank you for your story.
@exexec I just love our beagle. She has always been so sassy, and she still is. I am so glad you adopt older beagles. They need all the love they can get. Thank you for your understanding comment. I appreciate it. :-)
