4 ways to help human and canine veterans every day

Honoring America's heroes. It's something we should do every day, not just on Veterans Day.

And here are some ways you can do that.

Rehoming your beagle: Dos and Don'ts

Before we start, I just want to get something out of the way.

1. I am not judging anyone who needs to find a new home for their beagle.
2. I am not trying to enable people who are looking for an easy way out of pet ownership.

But the reality is every month I get at least one email from someone seeking help with finding a new home for a pet beagle. It's heartbreaking to read. Everyone has a reason for what they do.

If you are rehoming your beagle, here are some things to think about first:

1. Is the problem a behavioral one? Not housetrained, or barking and going crazy when you leave? Or perhaps the dog is moody, even bitey? Have you contacted a trainer or a behaviorist in your area for help?
2. Is the problem a medical one? Can you not afford the health costs associated with your dog's condition? Have you looked for a cheaper vet, or alternative care, or a group that can help you locally?
3. Is the problem a cost one? Can you not afford the cost of owning a pet anymore? Have you looked into food pantries, or thrift stores or discount stores for needed supplies?

There are other questions I could be asking: kid with allergies? Significant other says you have to get rid of the dog? Landlord says you have to get rid of the dog?

These are not areas I am willing to get into because my responses probably will not be helpful and simply upset you in an already upsetting situation.

So if your mind is made up, and you getting rid of your beagle, here are some dos and don'ts.

• DON'T just drop your beagle off at your county/city pound. Many pounds will kill your pet, and if they are an owner surrender they may not get a waiting period before they're put down. That's not fair to any pet.
  Now in a place like Orlando where there aren't a lot of beagles in the pounds, the chances are good a beagle will be adopted or rescued, but don't take that chance without reason. The pound should always be a last resort, and always done with a bit of research.
• DO contact any shelters that use euthanasia as a last resort, or are "No-Kill."
• DON'T just put your beagle up on Craigslist. Lots of people put dogs up for sale or "free to a good home" on Craigslist. Even if you try to do background checks on the person taking your dog, there's no guarantee they aren't just going to flip the dog, or worse -- use it as dog fighting bait or just plain abuse it.
• DO talk to your vet. Vets can be very helpful in this regard, if only because they know lots of people who might be interested in taking a dog.
• DO contact your area rescues. Rescue groups have foster networks that might be able to take a beagle in. This won't always work though, especially if you have a pet with an illness that needs help. Also, some rescues may not have enough fosters to care for an owner surrender. Don't just look at breed-specific rescues either. Need to find the rescues in your area? Look at Adopt a Pet or Petfinder.
• DO get on Facebook. There are lots of Facebook groups out there for dog lovers, especially crosspost groups for pets that need homes. 
• DO ask your friends. Friends and family may be more willing to help than you are aware. 
• DON'T just set your pet loose outside. That's a good way to get them killed.

As a rule, I don't personally post re-homing pets on my social media pages. It would open flood gates. But there are lots of people who do. You just have to find them.

Meet the Beagle of the Week: Bru from Home Bruing

One thing I've discovered since starting this blog is there are lots of beagles online.

So each week we're going to introduce you to a new beagle and their parent to check out. We'll also feature a beagle who needs a home.

Our first Beagle of the Week -- Bru!

Bru as a puppy and Bru today.

Bru belongs to Holly Rose, who runs a blog called Home Bruing, which is a product review and DIY site. I've been lucky enough to practically watch Bru grow up through Holly's pictures. Isn't he adorable?

I asked Holly 10 questions about him, and here are her answers:

1) How old is Bru? 
Bru was born April 15, 2012. He's almost 1 year, 4 months.

2) Where did you get him?
We adopted Bru from a small family in VT that had a litter of beagle pups. The father was an active hunter, so both of Bru's parents are hunting beagles! He looks JUST like his mom! We drove 3 hours there, 3 hours back to get him!

3) How old is he, and how long have you had him?
He's 1 year, 4 months. We've had him since he was 7 weeks old!

4) What's his favorite food?
What ISN'T Bru's favorite food? He goes nuts for wet foods, forbidden people food, treats, peanut butter and more. We've tried giving him veggies, but he just likes to mash them up into my rug for me to clean up.

5) What's his favorite thing to do?
Bru LOVES to go hiking. You should see him "catch a scent," as we call it. He'll start whimpering and pawing around trees looking for squirrels, rabbits, and who knows what! He must get it from his mom and dad. He likes to walk the perimeter of our backyard and stalk/chase robins, too.

6) What's his favorite toy? 
 Bru's favorite toy is his stuffed koala. The family we adopted him from said he loved to snuggle it. It used to be bigger than him and he would sleep on it like a pillow. Now that he's bigger, the koala has become his "girlfriend!" He has a special romance with her and loves to lay down with his mouth on her. It seems to relax him! She's lost minimal stuffing over the past year. We think he's less rough with her to keep her around longer!

7) Does he take part in any special activities (i.e. therapy dog, service dog, spokes dog, etc.) ? 
No, but he passed his Basic Obedience training class at Petco Unleashed. I'd love to bring him to a nosework class someday!

Editor Note: Bru also helps his mom out as a foster brother. They foster with Last Hope K9 Rescue in Massachusetts. Here's what Holly says:

"Bru had 3 foster brothers since March, and all have been adopted! We're taking a break right now, but plan to foster again soon. He loves to romp around with foster siblings! Our first foster, a 3-year-old basset hound, was finishing up heart worm treatment and Bru seemed so sweet to him and gave him lots of kisses and snuggles!"

8 ) What's the best part about owning a beagle?
The best part of owning a beagle is their loyalty and love. There's nothing like a wagging, happy whining beagle to greet you when you come home and to snuggle into you at night. He's like a little shadow, following us around the house!!

9) What's the worst?
The worst part about owning a beagle is their wandering nose. We've yet to fully fence in our yard, and he has gotten out of our sight a few times. Bru loves to go for a stroll down the block and make his mom and dad worry!

 
10) Anything you'd like to add?
Follow me and Bru at www.homebruing.com for product reviews, DIY projects and other adventures!
We're also on Pack: http://packlove.com/bru
I'm also the curator for the Beagle Pack: http://beagle.news.packlove.com/

 So that's Bru! It's amazing what can happen when a pup has a great home!

Now, please spread the word and lets see if we can help two other beagles:

I wrote about Shoeshine and Buck earlier this week. Both beagles are still at Osceola County Animal Shelter.

Shoeshine has been there for weeks. The shelter is at capacity, which means Shoeshine especially is in danger of being euthanized!

Please help spread the word about Shoeshine and Buck, and lets see if we can find these beagle boys homes!

Here's the info:

You can contact the shelter at 407-742-8000.

The hours of operation are: M: Noon - 5pm; T-F: 10am - 5pm; Sat: 9am - 2pm.

You can also check out their website at http://www.osceolacountypets.com/, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OsceolaCountyAnimalServices.

Help foster the pet of a military member

This is Marley. This dog's owner surrendered him to Pasco County Animal Services. Marley was euthanized in May.

Marley's owner was a service member who was going overseas.


Unfortunately, when these service members have to go on tour, their pets can't come with them. Or, if they live on military bases, some have breed restrictions.

But there are some groups out there that try to help by finding foster homes while the service members are on deployment, or trying to finding a home.

So here is a list of some great groups that care for pets while the troops are away:

• PACT for Animals: This group, which advocates for all kinds of animal rights issues, has a foster program for members of the military with pets who are going oversees. If you want to help them, check out their site.
•  Dogs on Deployment: This site has a database for military members searching for someone to care for their pets while they are overseas. People can sign up to foster or help on their website.
• Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets: This group offers all kinds of help for military families with pets, including some foster help. Check out their programs here.
• Sundance Pet Resort: Sundance in Independence, KY is part of a coalition of kennels that are donating space for dogs of people on deployment. Find more information on the Sundance website.
• Some no-kill shelters may also take on the pets of military members. It's best to ask ahead of time.

 Also, the American Humane Association has information on what service members should do if they need a foster family for their pet. That list of tips can be found here.

Need more convincing?

Hopefully, by posting this, more pets will be spared Marley's fate.

I leave you with a collection of videos of dogs happily reunited with their military service member owners. This was posted on Huffington Post.