Goodbye to Megan

Today was a sad day, Janet's beagle, Megan, passed away. She has been a part of our lives for almost fifteen years and will be greatly missed.

The last dog that we had, an English Springer Spaniel we had gotten from an individual. He was never in good health and died at a very early age of kidney failure so I decided that this time we were going to purchase from a breeder. Janet decided that she wanted a small beagle to keep inside.

We joined the San Jacinto Beagle Club even though we did not own a beagle and were required to work two yearly shows before we would be considered suitable beagle owners. When we met the requirements, one of the breeders that breed for pack hunting, not showing, had a small, eleven inch, beagle which we were allowed to adopt. Since it is not possible to tell what size a beagle will be until it is grown, Little Bit, as she was called was a little over a year old when we got her. Janet changed her name to Megan.

Megan, had been the runt of the litter as most beagles are breed to be either thirteen or fifteen inches which is required for show dogs. The Canadian Kennel Club recognizes a ten inch beagle, but the AKC only recognized thirteen and fifteen inch. Being raised in a pack of eighteen beagles she never came to learn that she was top dog at our house and that she did not have to fight for the scraps. So at mealtime, Megan vacuumed the bowl rather than ate and she would eat as long as there was food in the bowl.

I was not entirely sure that I was going to take to an "inside" dog which is what Janet wanted but I fell in love with Megan and you can't beat a hound for an inside dog. If she wasn't sniffing a trail all she wanted to do was to lie around. The one thing you learn quickly about scent hounds is that you do not get any exercise taking them for a walk. We could spend fifteen minutes just getting out of the yard because she had to smell of everything. As Meagan got older it was clear that she preferec being outside. I guess she had run out of smells in the house.

I told the vet that all my life I had done everything recommended to put hair on my chest and was almost sixty years old before I found the secret, a beagle. Megan's position when riding in the car was standing in my lap with her ears flapping in the wind outside the driver's window. Needless to say, wherever I took her I arrived with hair on my chest.

Two days ago I noticed that Megan did not eat her meals. Yesterday was the same. She would not even take one of her favorite snacks a piece of cheese. Up till then she had been active and ate well so I mentioned to Janet that I was concerned that Megan would not be with us much longer. The Springer Spaniel had done the same thing a day or so before he died he refused to eat. With Megan's obsession for food I knew that something major was wrong. Her hair had turned gray and her hearing was gone I have had to go out and wake her up for some time to get her to come in to eat, so I knew it was time and she did too. I am not sure how but dogs seem to know when it is time to let go and today Megan did.

Megan was never a lap dog except during a thunderstorm but I am pleased that last night before I put her out for the night I held her in my lap and held her close for longer than she normally allows.

Janet, so far has taken the news well. I had tried to prepare her and when she didn't show a lot of emotion, I asked if she understood what I was telling her about Megan and she said that she did. I am pleased that she is not terribly depressed.