this time last year, we were preparing for our second christmas without our beloved family dog, chipper who we said goodbye to in 2020. we were all sorely missing his sweet spirit + the void we felt without his presence was only growing deeper. ryan + i had been carrying the thought of another dog on our hearts, observing all the reasons why or why not to welcome another furry friend into our family.
we gave chipper many nicknames in his 13 years. one of our favorite monikers was regal beagle which came from his way of sitting up so proudly, just as handsome as ever. we didn’t know then, but it planted a seed for what was to come.
we knew we may never find another dog like the first, but as we felt the need increasing, we started looking into different breeds while following the animal rescue efforts in our area. our first dog was a rescue + though he was skittish most of his life, we believe his timid, gentle personality was what endeared him to us the most. so we reached an ultimatum: if we were to get another dog it would have to be a rescue + we’d like him to be a beagle, bonus if it could be a puppy!
right before christmas we saw a beagle mom-to-be had been rescued by local rescue non-profit releash atlanta! she was due to have puppies any day + they would be interviewing interested families. we were celebrating with our families in 2021 when we got the news that mama charlie had delivered her liter + the tiny beagle puppies were the sweetest sight. it was in an instant that we knew, it was meant to be.
the process was thorough + thoughtful as we spent a lot of time towards being considered a potential family to one of these newborn puppies–it was a big, life-changing deal! we finally brought our boy home in march after nine to ten weeks spent with the liter. there are so many “heart-eyed” moments as our girls say, that we had along the way, but the one i think we’ll always remember was the first time we met him. upon walking into the foster mom’s puppy room, we laughed as our daughters soon had a dog pile of bouncing beagles, piling up on top of one another + passing out puppy-kisses, whimpers + all. we didn’t want to leave that party, much less pick just one from the liter. did you know a group of hounds is called “a cry”? …how appropriate!
the akc describes beagles as “curious, friendly, + merry”. this made our hearts melt from the start, but to know + love a beagle is to understand how accurately those words were chosen. monte is every ounce of curious, friendly + merry as we imagined he would be. that personality coupled with his loyal companionship continues to thrill us as he shadows us around faithfully, is always up for an adventure or making a new furry friend + lives for a task to do or job to assist us with.
this pup was the answer to our hopes + prayers for our family. because he was a rescue, we needed him + he needed us too. he was very much a christmas wish come true, in a way i’ve never before experienced + he remains “the gift that keeps on giving”. if you’ve ever thought about adopting a dog, take this as your sign. we need them as much as they need us + what a happy coupling it always seems to be! surely, there must a dog for everyone.
MERRY (Christmas) BEAGLE — indeed!
porches + pillowfights 