Wednesday, December 21, 2011

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." -Immanuel Kant

Eventually I'm sure I won't have as much to say about Uno but for now, bringing him to his Forever Home has been like bringing home a newborn baby -- every time he moves a whisker I whip out the camera.  He's adorable but, more importantly, every day brings a little bit more confidence on his part, a little more affection for us, or at least this is what I like to believe.   For instance, when I got home yesterday after running an errand, he ran to me and jumped up on my legs, whimpering and wagging his tail.  For a "normal" dog who has always known how to be a dog, this is not a big, hairy deal.  For Uno and all of his formerly incarcerated brethren, this is HUGE.  

Most of my posts have been happy ones but this evening as I lay with him curled up between my knees on my bed while putting my little one to sleep, a realization dawned on me.  This was that the real cruelty of the situation Uno and these other dogs were in before their rescue by Beagle Freedom Project was not as much the conditions in which they were kept, the testing they were subjected to, or how they were exploited by people that call themselves human... it is that they were not loved.   My intention is by no means to minimize all that was done to them or how they were kept, but I see Uno and how he puts his paw on our arms to keep us from walking away when we're petting him, or how he readily climbs onto my belly and chest or curls up in between my knees, or even how he comes when we call him and is content to tolerate all of our pets and smooches and scratches until our backs hurt from bending over or our legs have fallen asleep from squatting, and I know that this animal needs to be loved.   These are SENTIENT, sweet, loyal, smart dogs that would just as soon go without food than live without affection.  
 
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
-- Author Unknown









Uno is getting better every day but readers, don't misunderstand me -- he is still a little skittish, he still jumps and tucks his tail under when an envelope falls to the floor while I'm opening the mail, he has a long way to go before he is no longer traumatized... but I know that he knows that we recognize that his greatest need is for love 

                   and love...
                                                                             conquers all.

8 comments:

  1. Such a sweet pup! I have had Karma for 10 years now & she still occasionaly acts skittish. She will always be afraid of sticks/hoses/rolled up carpet/etc that are motionless on the floor. Really don't want to know why. Beagles are the sweetest dogs on earth! I still love that she greets me at the door wagging her tail like crazy with her favorite squeaker toy! Never fails to put a smile on my face!

    ReplyDelete
  2. xoxoxo!!!

    Your family melts my heart a million times over.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andrea, thanks for your comments and you're right, Uno might ALWAYS carry some of the baggage from his past. Hopefully, we can make that baggage a little lighter. Hugs & wet, sloppy kisses to you and Karma!

    M, we are a family with MANY faults... but we love each other like crazy and we're mad about animals (translation: I bring animals home, my hubby forgives me then falls in love with them, too)! Uno is special, though, & impossible not to love, as you well know... Thanks for keeping touch!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for including us on UNOs journey. I was lucky enough to spend some time with him before he went to your loving home. I guess you could say I'm his foster grandma. He is such a loving dog and will melt your heart. I look forward to reading about his adventures. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I cried at this post, ALL these dogs NEED is LOVE! They really ask for so little.

    My friends Angie & Phil Mccready helped to care for the 40 beagles in Spain once they were rescued from the testing lab in Barcelona & I actively helped by posting in Spanish forums for help (donations, warm blankets etc) whilst I was in the UK.

    Once back in Spain I had ONE day in which to see the beagles before they left from Sax, where they were kennelled) to travel by road to Madrid to fly to LAX but my plans were (shall we just say) scuppered by someone!!

    I try to keep up on the FB Foster Beagles page though it's getting to be a full time occupation these days.

    If you'd like to put my video on your blog I'd be very honoured.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12HhjWFWkR8

    Enjoy your lives with Uno.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your words are so true and I feel so happy to know that Uno has found LOVE!! True Love!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi from Belgium. A big applause for people like you with big hearts for this misfortuned beagles. We own beagles for over 26 years,only the first came to us from the litter.The next ones were all trown away by their previous owners. Darling dogs whom we enjoy every day.
    The next one will be also a lab beagle.
    Let us hope these malisious practices will be out of the word soon.

    Kind greatings from overseas. Els and beagle Teagan.

    ReplyDelete