God Save (Us From) the Beagle Queen: BJ’s Story
Today is a very special day indeed. Yes, it is Valentine’s Day but it is also a very special beagle’s birthday today. 15 years ago today, our very own beagle queen was born. I thought that writing about her and how she came into our lives would be a fun way to commemorate Her Majesty.
5 years ago, a former coworker of mine contacted me about a geriatric beagle who was looking for a new home. Her name at this time was Shiloh. My soul dog, Senna, had just passed away a few months before and I had been absolutely devastated by his loss. I thought I was ready for a new dog. (I was wrong, but I really thought I was!) After some back-and-forth, I talked to my wonderful and ever-supportive husband and he agreed that I should go meet this creature. (At this point, I think John would’ve agreed that I could go meet a velociraptor if it would’ve made me happy. Haha.) Meeting BJ (formerly known as Shiloh) was the first thing I had been excited about since Senna died. The plan was for me to drive our other dog, Danzig, to meet this young woman and beagle to see how the dogs got along. Then I would go home and think and discuss things with John and we would see. Well… that isn’t what happened at all. You see, I am a sucker. I pull into that parking lot and see this sad, fat, old beagle gal and I immediately threw what John and I had come up with as a plan out the window. (Sorry honey.) BJ was obviously stressed and depressed. Her whole world was changing and she needed someone. I saw a lot of me in her at that time, we were both fat, and sad, and alone. I couldn’t leave her there. After making sure she didn’t hate Danzig, I hoisted her plump self into my front seat and off we went back home.
When we bring a new dog into our home I have lots of rules and regulations lined up so that we can slowly immerse the new family member in a way that is safe and causes as little stress as possible. This is important for the new dog, but is also helpful for other pets as well. And let me tell you, we have SO MANY rules when we add to our family. As a professional, I know all the bad things that can happen, and as a woman with an anxiety disorder I know all those bad things will happen. (Haha.) Having rules and boundaries helps me feel more in control and is excellent pet management because these rules help prevent issues from forming early on. Danzig was a saint among dogs but we didn’t know a lot about BJ so we wanted to set her up for success from the get-go. BJ did really well with D and our cat, Haushinka. (Because she was too fat to move and also because we gave her few opportunities to have missteps.)
Let me tell you, she was not a fan of us at first. She was sick and very overweight. Bless her. At her first vet appointment with us she weighed in at a whopping 32 pounds and the vet told us that they “hoped she had a thyroid condition”. Hahaha. She did not. facepalm (Now she is a svelte 16 pounds that is healthier for her petite frame.) Part of the issue was that her Royal Highness had been fed Hungry Man-type TV dinners at her previous home.
When I say that BJ feels that we are the worst thing to ever happen to her; I mean it. We ended TV dinners and she now eats dog food. Prescription dog food, no less, that probably tastes like cardboard. We are THE WORST. She would smother me and John in our sleep for a tiny bite of pizza. Zero regrets. But we love her all the same. I love her monstrous attitude and her brattiness. She isn’t Senna, and oh boy is she not Senna. Hahaha. BJ can’t replace him, but she fills a space in my heart that opened up when he died. I am very grateful that we happened to need each other at the same time. Happy 15th birthday to Her Majesty and may she have many more with us.